Motoring Garages - Getting a job done right

Scouse

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My missus' car is a right fucker.

It's a Golf 1.6 TSi bought 12 months ago and it ran fine for 6 of them. I wasn't happy with the purchase (I wanted her to go Jap, frankly, because despite what the stats may say I don't rate any car built in Europe for reliability). But she was set on it.

Light in the cockpit came on after a missfire and a small lurch. Timing belt change was needed, which isn't a cheap job. Got a few quotes and it turned out the local VW dealer was competetive (even more so than "specialist" VW garages in the area).

Got it in. Got it fixed. Credit card bill went up.

Shortly after the engine light in the cockpit came on again. Took it back and went "WTF - we've just had it in!!!". They insisted that it was unrelated and that a sensor was to blame but it's, again, a pain in the ass job. Not cheap. I told them that if that's definitely the problem, that there's no other "root cause" of these issues then I'll pay but I don't want the car coming back in again shortly.

Got it in. Got it fixed. Credit card bill went up. Told the missus that if we get a lot more trouble then we're going to have to take the hit, get shut of the car and get her something else.

6 short weeks later the engine light in the cockpit is on, again. :(

It has to get fixed. The car isn't running right - it sounds like a dog, doesn't start cleanly. However, I'm loathe to take it into the garage only for them to say "it's an unrelated problem" - as I don't believe them and I also wanted them to find the root cause of any problems last time. I want this one fixed on warranty.

Has anyone here ever managed to get a garage to do work under warranty? If you're not mechanically-minded you're entirely reliant on their word that the problems you're having aren't linked - which I don't believe for a second. If you have, what did you say?

Advice please peoples!
 

Raven

Happy Shopper Ray Mears
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We had problems with my wifes car a couple of years ago and the only way we got them to fix it was to start throwing words around like trading and standards. That and looking up consumer law.

Where did you buy it?
Was it new or used?
Private sale or a dealership?
If used, how was it described?

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/problem/the-second-hand--car-i-bought-has-a-problem/ < summary of used car law

If it's new then take it back to the place you bought it under the warranty. If it's used you might have a hard time after 12 months - it would probably end up going to court if you pushed it and then you might not win.

Other than that, you could buy an error code reader to find out what errors it is throwing out (I think all cars should just tell you instead of producing a code you have to look up) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Scanner-Reader-SKODA-diagnostic-Fault/dp/B001KSZQNM if it's the same problem as before then they should fix it properly.

You could also take it to a local garage and get them to look it up, they will probably charge you £50 or so for the pleasure but they are at least neutral and can give you an semi-official printed list of faults.
 

Access Denied

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Surely the Sale of Goods Act applies here? Even if it doesn't and the car is new it will be under warranty. Assuming the car is new I don't know why you wouldn't take it back to the place you got it from and have them fix it for free under said warranty.
 

Scouse

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There's a little confusion here. The car was bought 12 months ago. It's second-hand and not under warranty from the original garage.

It's had series of repairs at a second garage and I'm not happy that they've done root-cause analysis to find out if everything is working correctly - hence the series of repairs.

The car has done ~55,000 miles so it's not ancient - and it should be running fine. It does mainly motorway miles and doesn't get ragged at all. Yet it's throwing up problem after problem - which leads me to suspect that the garage hasn't done their job right.
 

Raven

Happy Shopper Ray Mears
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Ah ok. Well, get the error code then, from an independent garage or get your own reader. If you know exactly what was "fixed" last time then you will be able to see if it's related. If it is then you at least have a starting point. The engine management light can mean any number of things...mine even came on when the battery was running out in the fob, though as it's keyless car the fob is kind of important :)
 

Tom

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The car may have been due a timing belt change anyway, it isn't a job you want to leave to chance. A change might cost £500, but an engine with bent valves is a lot more.

You say it sounds odd, doesn't run or start correctly? There are a few things to check, crank position sensor is one of them. Just think yourself lucky it isn't a modern diesel...
 

Gumbo

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Ask the garage what the fault code was. Or failing that go into a decent garage and just get them to scan it and tell them not to fix the problem, but tell you what the code reader told them. Then take it from there. Some fault codes can just indicate a fuse has gone. You're right to try and learn the root cause. Too many garages employ a scatter gun approach to fault finding when you really don't need to if you are at all handy with the diagnostic tools available these days.
 

Urgat

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Only advice i can practicaly give is get someone you know and trust and who knows about cars to take a look for you first, and if possible, go with you. And use a local garage, preferable recomended by someone you know and trust. (stay away from chains like quick fit and moto save)

I know lvery little about engines beyond the basics, but my father in law is a retired mechanic. I take the car to his whenever i think something is wrong. We spend the afternoon trying to figure out what he thinks it is, and THEN take it to a local garage that we have used for ages, whom we trust, and he knows personally from the trade.

The four steps removed rule should apply here... you WILL know someone who knows about cars, or who knows someone who knows about cars.
 

Scouse

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You say it sounds odd, doesn't run or start correctly? There are a few things to check, crank position sensor is one of them. Just think yourself lucky it isn't a modern diesel...

£2000 is the best estimate that's come back. Was rung up on Friday whilst I was on my way to a mountainbiking blast at Coed Y Brenin for the weekend. I can't even remember what's wrong with it now :(

We're getting shut (spent too much on it already - a 56-plate Golf with 55k on the clock should be rock-solid reliable but it just ain't - it's looking like one of those cars you could simply keep spunking money all over) -however, the garage we're at will only give us 3 grand knowing that 2k of repairs are needed. I'm tempted to try to take it to another dealer and see what they'll give on trade-in - maybe they'll underestimate the mahoosive job that's needed and give us an extra grand or so, but I'm not hugely convinced of that.

So anyway, car suggestions please. Something rock solid reliable, cheap as chips to run, pref 5-doors, doesn't cost a mint (looking at, say, 6-7 grand second hand).


I fucking hate buying cars, me :(
 

Tom

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£2,000 to fix what's probably as simple as a faulty sensor/injector/coil pack? What a load of shite, find a different garage. Petrol engines are simple devices, there's only so much that can go wrong.
 

Scouse

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Something Japanese.

That's what I was thinking.

£2,000 to fix what's probably as simple as a faulty sensor/injector/coil pack? What a load of shite, find a different garage. Petrol engines are simple devices, there's only so much that can go wrong.

They've tested the coil packs and it's not the case, unfortunately. They've spoken to VW and they reckon something more problematic.

I am tempted to take it to a different garage to get a second opinion tho.
 

Tom

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They've spoken to VW and they reckon something more problematic.

Loose translation "We haven't a fucking clue what's wrong with it because we're fitters, not mechanics. If the computer doesn't tell us what it is, we don't know."

Take it to auction then.
 

Bodhi

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Sounds like an electrical fault somewhere, a quick Google suggests either a dodgy earth on a coil pack, or a broken spark plug, neither of which will cost 100 quid to fix. I would find a good VW specialist, if none spring to mind, ask on one of the many VW forums available on the interweb. Vw dealers are ime fucking useless with older cars, charging through the nose for stuff which doesn't need done, so you'll be tempted to buy the shiny new one they have in the showroom.

I suspect this has an easy fix once you find the issue, but you'll need someone who knows what they're doing to find it. I know a decent specialist in stoke if that's any use?

Doubt I'd sell the car until I knew exactly what's wrong with it, and I wouldn't trust a dealership to do that.
 

Olgaline

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Buy a second hand Vtec Honda
Carefull with Civics though, they can tend to attract a certain undesireble kind of pre-owner-driver

Oh, and of course post pics of car(s) before purches for quality inspection and patented FH community approval :D
 

Scouse

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I don't necessarily disagree with that Bodhi. Stoke's a bit far tho, got any ideas in Nottingham? :)
 

Punishment

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If the timing belt went then it and the water pump probably went past the service interval
 

Hawkwind

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Whilst Honda are reliable I personally find their car range very boring. Been buying Toyota for last 5 years not had an issue at all. Not Nip, but mate of mine has Subaru Impreza WRX and loves it. Very nice car in its class.
 

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