Negligent garage - advice?

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Wed 3 Jun 2009 22:00
Negligent garage - advice? - Snakey
My car went for a new clutch under warranty. As soon as I picked the car up I noticed the steering felt 'odd' (as if the tracking was well out)

I know that replacing the clutch involves removing a good part of the suspension (subframe etc) so I reported it to the garage. They asked me to bring it in for another look.

However on the way to the garage, the front suspension collapsed on one side, damaging the wheel, suspension, bodywork, sill and other parts. The recovery mechanics instant assessment of the situation was that the lower balljoint hadn't been correctly seated after the clutch replacement. It had basically popped out and the whole front strut was loose and therefore collapsed.

Car is now at garage awaiting assessment. I'm not sure whether to ask for a replacement car, refund or just repair the damage, if indeed the garage even offer to do it FOC. Anyone been in a similar situation to this, and what did you do?

Only had the car 3 weeks as well, not the best start to ownership. What worries me most is that this could have happened on the motorway, and I would not be here to tell the tale!
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Wed 3 Jun 2009 22:07
Negligent garage - advice? - boxsterboy
The garage are liable to put you back in the position you should have been after the clutch had been renewed FOC, which is what they seem to have offered. I just hope that you don't have to go the legal route to get there!

Could have been worse. I was talking to a guy the other day who has a Ford F150 V8 pick-up. In changing a faulty £250 temperature sensor the local Ford dealer put the engine back together with a loose bolt in the engine. Fired it up and wrecked the engine. They held their hands up and a new engine was shipped from the States. Cost to garage? £6,500!
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Wed 3 Jun 2009 23:36
Negligent garage - advice? - Snakey
The cost and damage to the car is the least of my concerns I suppose. The negligent actions of the garage could have had fatal consequences - hence do I take this any further?

I'm sure this will end in being a battle - no garag ever admits liability!
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Wed 3 Jun 2009 23:43
Negligent garage - advice? - bell boy
The recovery mechanics instant assessment of the situation was that the lower balljoint hadn't been correctly seated after the clutch replacement
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> they are probably the same people who told my customer the headgasket had gone when she had the foresight to turn the engine off
turned out to be a thermostat had decided to pack up (fiats dont you love them)
OP see what the garage that has the car says before you do anything and i mean anything
ps garages do admit faults its just that the internet never shows good garages which is why hj tries to promote such things
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Thu 4 Jun 2009 00:54
Negligent garage - advice? - Blue {P}
The negligent actions of the garage could have had fatal consequences - hence do I
take this any further?
I'm sure this will end in being a battle - no garag ever admits liability!


It could, but it didn't. You may get some goodwill on top of getting your car fixed, maybe a few services free or something for the trouble, but really, I'm not sure that the law entitles you to any compensation for something that hasn't actually happened...


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Thu 4 Jun 2009 09:12
Negligent garage - advice? - Snakey
Fair comments - I'm not the suing type anyway!. But the consequences of some poor workmanship could have cost lives - not the sort of thing you dismiss so easily.

I know enough about cars as well to see that the lower balljoint had simply come out of the pinch bolt - it either wasn't in correctly or wasn't tight enough. Nothing had broken or snapped (my first thought was the spring, but this is fine)

The guy who had a look was actually a ex-SAAB mechanic, so fairly well qualified to make a judgement I suppose.
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