WWYD re mobile mechanic?

Mrscl
Mrscl Posts: 7 Forumite
I hope this is in the right place!

Hello,
We use a mobile mechanic but he's becoming very unreliable. He came week before last to change our oil filter but upon doing this found another fault so we booked him for Tuesday just gone to repair it. We offered the money he'd asked for for the filter change and he said to just pay him when all work was done.

Monday night I unfortunately shredded the tyre driving over a piece of metal, so we called and he said he'd come at midday to give us time to repair the tyre. He didn't show up but to be fair we had delayed it due to unforeseen circumstances so perhaps our fault.

Promised to come 8.30 next day. He arrives 11.30 and says he needs to soak the part off and he'll be back in two hours. Didn't come back again. Upon ringing him he said he'd give it overnight and would be back next day first thing.

Arrives Thursday about 10.30 and he's here for about ten minutes and left without a word. When we rang him he said part was still stuck and he'd come Friday to sort.

Friday didn't show. We rang him and said I'd got to work the weekend and needed my car and he'd got the key so we couldn't get the children's car seats out (our spare has a dead battery and it's a keyless start and open car, all electric). He said he'd put it back to together so I could use it. He came about 7.30pm and did that.

He then said he'd return today to take it to a garage to get this part off and it's nearly 10am and he's still not arrived.

On one hand I feel really sorry for him because he's obviously very stretched and overworked and he's a really good mechanic but I need my car.

I don't know how to proceed, wait for him or book it in elsewhere and just pay for the work he's already done? I'm trying to be understanding but I'm getting frustrated. Is it a slap in the face if we go elsewhere now? We haven't paid him yet for anything at his insistence so I know he's not a rip off merchant and in the past he's been very good but he's getting so unreliable and I do need it fixing.
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Comments

  • If it were me, I'd tell him to sling his hook and either find a decent mobile mechanic, or find a proper mechanic in a proper workshop (although if it were actually me, I'd just do it myself).


    I certainly wouldn't want someone who can't even manage their own workload efficiently and remember to fulfil their promises loosening off the fixings on potentially safety-critical components of my vehicle.


    What fault did he find when doing a simple oil change?
  • Aylesbury_Duck
    Aylesbury_Duck Posts: 13,879
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    I wonder whether the filter or sump plug is seized and he hasn't actually done anything at all yet other than apply some penetrating oil. Might explain why he hasn't asked for money.

    If a tyre has been "shredded", it won't be repairable and don't allow it to be repaired. Get a new one fitted.

    With regard to feeling bad about it, I'd call him and explain that given his work pattern and your needs aren't compatible, you're finding an alternative garage. If he chooses to try and persuade you to stick with him, just explain that you might call on him for future work if he has the capacity to deal with your car properly and in one go, rather than by instalments.
  • Mrscl
    Mrscl Posts: 7 Forumite
    Well the engine management notification popped up saying oil change needed but then it started losing power so he said it sounded like a blocked filter and a change should sort it but when he looked a bit closer something else was causing it, I'm sorry I'm not sure what. He's been dealing with my husband more than me.

    This is what concerns me too. I want my car to be as safe as can be as it's the main transport for my two young children and it concerns me that things might be not right. There were a few parts he'd left off (bolts and things it looked like) after putting it together and that worried me although I'll be the first to admit I'm not very knowledgeable about cars so just trusted the car would be okay short term without them.

    Perhaps I'm being too lenient then and it's time to sack him off.
  • Mrscl wrote: »
    Well the engine management notification popped up saying oil change needed but then it started losing power so he said it sounded like a blocked filter and a change should sort it but when he looked a bit closer something else was causing it, I'm sorry I'm not sure what. He's been dealing with my husband more than me.

    This is what concerns me too. I want my car to be as safe as can be as it's the main transport for my two young children and it concerns me that things might be not right. There were a few parts he'd left off (bolts and things it looked like) after putting it together and that worried me although I'll be the first to admit I'm not very knowledgeable about cars so just trusted the car would be okay short term without them.

    Perhaps I'm being too lenient then and it's time to sack him off.



    It doesn't sound like he knows much about cars either, to be fair.


    What is the car in question? Age, fuel type, mileage, service history?
  • Mrscl
    Mrscl Posts: 7 Forumite
    We did get a new tyre, hubby took the wheel to work and dropped it into a garage for them to fit a new one and reattached the wheel on his break with assistance so that's that done.

    That's a good idea to put it that way so it's not offensive to him hopefully. Thank you.
  • Mrscl
    Mrscl Posts: 7 Forumite
    It's a ford c max grand, 2011 and quite high mileage at 110,000 but always regularly serviced and maintained. We've had it two years now and this is the first fault we've had on it.
  • Mrscl wrote: »
    It's a ford c max grand, 2011 and quite high mileage at 110,000 but always regularly serviced and maintained. We've had it two years now and this is the first fault we've had on it.


    Fuel type? Engine size?
  • Mrscl
    Mrscl Posts: 7 Forumite
    Diesel and 2.0l
  • Probably the EGR valve needs removing and cleaning/replacing. It's a !!!!!! to get to on the 2.0TDCi, so he may just have given up on it in order that you'll take it somewhere else and he won't have to deal with it.
  • Mrscl
    Mrscl Posts: 7 Forumite
    I think that might be it because he did say it's a pain to get to and in no way an easy job. He's quoted us fairly cheap we though at £365 so perhaps he's underpriced it? Maybe we should get some quotes, see if he has underpriced and if that's the case offer to pay what the job actually costs. My dad was a tradesman pre retirement so I have seen him underprice jobs and just make up the shortfall himself and I'd hate to do that to another and it might explain why he may be hoping we'll take it elsewhere. I just wish he'd communicate better. He's a fairly young guy only been in business a couple of years and I'm wondering if he's worried about just telling us it will cost more or is put off doing a job he'll make nothing or a loss on.
    Or just get the quotes and take it elsewhere. I think I'm possibly trying to be understanding at my detriment because I really need my car!
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