Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out

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Fri 15 Oct 2010 02:00
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Kezza1980

Hi

I am new to this forum and came across it trying to find out information on where I stand regarding work a garage has carried out on my car.

2 weeks ago my car just died, it wouldn't start and the starter motor wouldn't even turn over. I called a local garage who took it in and put it on one of those diagnostic machines. It came back that the starter motor and cam belt sensor had broken and it would cost me £680 to fix. I had no choice and believed what they said so I said go ahead and fix it.

Last week I was then advised it might not have been either of those 2 problems but in fact the cam belt had broken and needed to be replaced, but there was a small chance my pistons could have been bent and could cost another £1200. To change the cam belt it cost me another £300. I needed it done as I am a working mother and was already borrowing my sisters car.

Last Friday I was at home when there was a knock at the door, it was the garage people dropping off my car, no warning, just there they were! They said the pistons were bent and the car was on my parking space. I went to the car to see what they had done and discovered they hadn't even put any of the engine back together!!! I was fuming to say the least. They had just thrown it in the boot on top of all my stuff!!!

I called and they said as they couldn't fix pistons as I didn't authorise the work there wasn't anything they could do! so they just brought the car back. They haven't given me any paper work for the work they have done and when I asked for the old starter motor etc. they said they had to exchange them for new ones so I couldn't have them back. Who's to say they were even faulty in the first place!!!

I really need to know where I stand on this matter as I now have a car that has half the engine in the boot parked in my parking space, that I have paid a lot of money out to fix!

PLEASE HELP!!!

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Fri 15 Oct 2010 10:48
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Dutchie

Hello Kezza,sorry to hear about your problem what kind of a garage is this? I think you need some help Lucy B is the one to give you better advise than I can give you.She is a legal expert.

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Fri 15 Oct 2010 11:21
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Kezza1980

Hi

Thank you for your reply, it is a small garage just down the road from me, it isn't chain or anything.

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Fri 15 Oct 2010 13:50
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Dutchie

Kezza,have you got any receipts for the work what has been done?They have no right to dump this engine or part of it in the boot of your car and leave you with this mess.Give citizens advise a ring before this ring the garage and tell them you are taking legal advice.

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Fri 15 Oct 2010 15:49
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Collos25

Dependant on the age of the vehicle it is probably going to cost much more to repair than the car is worth,I cannot see a garage turning down the chance to rebuild a car engine if they are given the chance.If as you say they have just dumped your car without any previous discussion or phone call I find it very strange they must think they are on pretty safe ground or they would not have done it.I suggest you do not pay any bill until you find out why they have dumped your car it would be reasonable easy to see whether they have fitted a new starter motor or not by looking at it and taking its serial number.

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Fri 15 Oct 2010 16:58
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Dutchie

I think she has already paid over a thousand pound Andy.

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Fri 15 Oct 2010 18:38
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Collos25

I thought as much but was hoping she had not paid or had paid by credit card where she could get the money back.

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Fri 15 Oct 2010 18:55
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Dutchie

Looks like she is dealing with a bunch of cowboys she have to get back to us.

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Fri 15 Oct 2010 22:38
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Kezza1980

Hi everyone

Thanks for your reply. I have already paid and in cash :( I told them I couldn't afford to have the pistons replaced if they were bent, so I guess that's why they just dumped the car back on me.

The car was worth about £1700 but in its current state it is worthless!

I really don't know what I can do, I have used all my spare money on getting the bits fixed they said were broken, I am now left with a car that doesnt work and no money to get another one :(

I tried on several occasions to ring citizens advise but I can never get through to the ones in my area. I will try again!

Thanks again for your replies :)

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Sat 16 Oct 2010 05:32
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - LucyBC
As with an accident so with a repair any car can be uneconomical to fix and it looks like this was true in this case.

Clearly the garage did not cause the original fault to the car. You gave them instructions to attempt to fix it - to a point - and they did attempt to do so but faced an ever developing series of problems - which they warned you were potentially there so I don't think you have a case against them.

They have been undiplomatic in the way they have dealt with this but I don't think they have behaved dishonestly. With hindsight it would probably have been better to scrap the car from the outset and selling it for salvage and buying another is your only current option.
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Sat 16 Oct 2010 08:44
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Dutchie

Thats the problem do Lucy with hindsight,the garage took plenty of money of her trying to repair a old car.Still leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.To the op a lesson learned never pay cash and take plenty of advice from somebody who knows about cars .

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Sat 16 Oct 2010 08:47
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - bonzo dog

My only rider to Lucy's comment is that if you did NOT ask them to confirm the pistons were bent & they went ahead regardless, then they should be puting the car back to the state it was prior to this point.

The only problem is how are you going to get them to do this? I would ask Trading Standards if they would help (is the garage a member of their scheme?)

Good luck

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Mon 18 Oct 2010 20:52
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Armitage Shanks {p}

I would think it unlikely that the pistons are bent - more likely the valves. Who described the problems as piston related - OP or the garage?

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Mon 18 Oct 2010 21:59
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Dutchie

The garage said the pistons where bent according to the OP.

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Tue 19 Oct 2010 11:31
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Kezza1980

Sorry I haven't replied, yes the garage told me they were bent :(

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Tue 19 Oct 2010 21:43
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Armitage Shanks {p}

It was the terminology which confused me. In the normal run of things, with a cam belt/chain failure, the pistons do not get bent, they get the crowns damaged by impact with the valves. How can one bend a cylindrical object open at one end? The valves by nature of being long and thin are the things that get bent. The garage seem useless enough to think that the pistons are bent! Damaged almost certainly, bent - not very likely.

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Wed 20 Oct 2010 12:58
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Dutchie

The OP is a thousand pound out of pocket and nothing on her car has been resolved.There must be a body out there who can help her.How many garages are there who operate this way? To me as a layman this is fraud.Lucy B says nothing can be done she should know she is a solicitor.To a lot of people a thousand pounds is a lot of money to lose just my opinion.

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Sun 24 Oct 2010 10:42
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Kezza1980

Thank you Dutchie, I am not asking for them to pay for a brand new car, I would just like it to be put back together or give me a proper diagnosis!

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Sun 24 Oct 2010 16:37
Lexus IS - Legal help about work a garage carried out - Dutchie

All I can say Kezza put it down to experience maybe its better to scrap your car.The diagnosis is a lot of work and its proberly not worth it.Good luck.

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