Bad garage repairs

hippadeemo

I can't find any information on this forum on what to do if you have had bad service from a garage.

The story goes:
I had my car MOT'd at one garage (opposite where I work) and they failed it saying it had a lot of rust and needed welding. I took it back into them to be welded and it passed and I thought it was all fine.

However, I had a little accident in my car recently and kerbed it damaging two wheels and took it to a different garage to be repaired and serviced because I had since moved and I broke down near my house (for moneysaving I know I should have brought the replacement trims and wheels myself and just had it all balanced but without a car to get the parts this was impossible but the garage I went to wasn't as expensive as I expected anyway). While checking my car over they noticed the repairs that had been done by the previous garage and told me that they were very badly welded with just dots around the edge of the patch instead of fully welding on the patch and if I was pulled over I would fail an on the spot MOT and when my car needs to be MOT'd again (nearly a year away) I will have to pay more :mad: to have this redone (well he said ground down and rewelded). Apparently my car isn't dangerous and I shouldn't worry about it until MOT time next year.

My Mum has suggest I report garage one to trading standards. I'm not really sure if this is the right course of action, but do object to paying for the same repair again since it wasn't done right in the first place.

Does anyone have any advice?

anewman

Give the first garage the opportunity to correct their error before getting on to trading standards and threatening them. It's only fair to them. If they will not acknowledge any fault or offer to rectify the work, then I would start trading standards and possible small claims court action etc.

You can actually also complain to VOSA that the car passed an MOT when it should have failed. I believe there is a time limit for this which is extended for structural problems (like yours) but not sure of these time limits. Edit: just noticed you say the next MOT is nearly a year away. I strongly suggest you complain to VOSA - details are on your MOT certificate. Use this as a bargaining chip when you ask the garage to correct the work.
Bear in mind if any further work is done then it will make it impossible to complain to VOSA, so I guess you need to weigh up whether they'll do the job properly, versus complaining to VOSA.

Do you have a receipt from garage one to prove they did this work?

hippadeemo

Yeah I thought it seemed a little unfair to not give them a chance to rectify it. Should I get another opinion that the work is bad on it though?

I will have kept the receipt because it was a lot of money! I will try and find it tonight.

Would it be best to complain to VOSA or ask garage one to rectify it. I suppose I need to check the timelines first!

flang

How much did the first garage charge you for the welding?

hippadeemo

About £200 and then the MOT fee. The 2nd garage said that it would be cheaper when I need it redone to get through my next MOT, but by then I will probably need all my sills doing too! Did think before any of the work was done that it would be cheaper to get a newer car than have any welding done on my current one since it's nearly 10 and a Ford Ka which seem to be rather prone to rust.

flang

I wouldnt worry to much, £200 is cheap to pass an MOT now days, and at least it will last you another year!
Still the work should have been completed to a good standard!

hippadeemo

From the VOSA website:

What if I think it has wrongly passed?

These cases usually relate to recently purchased vehicles and you should let VOSA know as soon as possible. VOSA will then offer an appointment within 5 working days to recheck your vehicle without charge, provided:

• not more than 28 days have elapsed since the MOT test
• not more than three months have elapsed since the MOT test for a rust or corrosion related problem

Just checking my diary for when I had the MOT done! Ahha 30th June. So not quite a year to go, but still easily within 3 months. However it wasn't a recently purchased vehicle. I've had it since November and my family had it since May 2007.

Still not sure what is the best course of action though!

ohreally

Complaining to VOSA may not be smart as they may end up voiding your certificate. Vosa will look at upholding standards, they won't issue you with a new test cert if one is needed.

anewman

ohreally wrote: »

Complaining to VOSA may not be smart as they may end up voiding your certificate. Vosa will look at upholding standards, they won't issue you with a new test cert if one is needed.

But it would get the certificate issuer a lost MOT testing license so I am sure the garage would be eager to put the problem right to avoid this.

hippadeemo

Yeah I'm starting to see that talking to the garage that did the repairs would be the best course of action.

steveo3002

have you got any mates /family that are into cars?

reason i ask is that they may well just cake on some thicker underseal to discuise the bodge job...idealy id ask them to reweld the joints to a mot standard and have you /mate inspect the work before underseal is applied

another thought...could the second garage be touting for more work? mot welding is usualy a mess unless you find a perfectionist