Is the garage responsible?

jimmo

Wig wrote: »

Not necessarily, if they did not torque the bolts properly it could have worked itself loose.

Totally agree with that, and it has happened to me, many years ago.
I also feel that any self-respecting garage would be extremely reluctant to mount a replacement engine on faulty mountings. Not only is it dangerous, it is also false economy for the customer. The mountings themselves are relatively cheap and if they are at all suspect fitting the replacement engine is the ideal time to change them.
However, if the engine came off its front mount once what is to prevent it happening again?
You really shouldn’t drive it anywhere until the problem is resolved. Try to keep calm but phone the garage and ask them to come and look at it.
I think the chances are that someone in the garage has failed to torq down the mounting bolts or nuts correctly and they should sort it out for you free of charge.
I don’t know if this is relevant but a few weeks ago I took my son’s car to a “back street garage” for an MOT. It needed some repairs and I left it with them overnight.
When we went to pick it up the next day the necessary repairs had been completed and the MOT certificate had been given. However an apprentice had apparently driven it very slowly into a wall and the front bumper was cracked. The garage explained to me exactly what had happened and offered a significant discount off the bill or a complete replacement bumper (and courtesy car for the period of repair).
I opted for the replacement and the car was fully repaired.
To be honest, I would almost certainly not have noticed the damage to the car at the time so the garage could really have got away with saying nothing.
However, they came clean and all was resolved.
Not correctly torquing down the engine mounting bolts or nuts is a horribly basic mistake but these things do happen. If your garage is as honest as mine, they will take full responsibility. Give them a chance but for goodness sake don’t drive the car in its dangerous state.