Garage Help

smunchkin

Looking for some advice (sorry it's a long read!)

Whilst on Holiday in Cumbria at the start of August our car broke down the AA took it to the nearest garage was told it was the engine that was the problem and that it needed this particular part to fix it, bill for that repair just over £1000, waited a few days for the work to be done,we got a call from the garage saying that this hadn't fixed the problem and that it needed a new cylinder head which was going to cost about another £1500.
We ok'd the work to be done as by this time we was due to go home we live in the north-east of Scotland so needed the car fixed so we could go home.
After staying an extra 3 nights the car was ready and we payed the bill and drove home, the car was running fine, three weeks later my partner started the car one evening and it was like a tractor very loud and sluttering with funny clunking noises from the engine, we called the AA out and after started the car twice it just died and wouldn't start, the AA thought it was somthing to do with the Timing chain and said that it looked like there had been somthing that hadn't been done right.
We called the garage in cumbria who told us to take itto our local garage for them to have a look to see what the problem was, so they looked at it and basicly said the same as the AA that the Timming belt had slipped caused the damage, the garage in Cumbria picked the car up and took down to there garage after a few days of them having it we were told that it was now with the Vauxhall garage to see if they will fix it under warrenty as it's possible it was a faulty part!
Heard from Vauxhall today and they are saying that they are not going to repair it as when the garage did the work on the cylinder head there are parts that they (Vauxhall) recomend are replaced new when doing a job like that, and the garage had just put the old parts back on.
My partner call the other garage today to say what Vauxhall were saying and he got a very shirty response from them that they need to speak to vauxhall about this!

So well done if you managed to read all my ramblings!! but just want to know where we stand with this and what we can do if the garage say they aren't going to fix the car!
We have just spent £2500 on the car we can not afford to get it fixed again ourselves and cannot afford a new car either!
Any advice greatly appreciated

Smunchkin

somech

the original garage is responsible for repair if they dont contact cab or trading standards and the AA aas they recommended the garage

Hammyman

For £2500 I would want a brand new engine from Vauxhall and expect a wad of cash back.

A Ford I bought a few years ago had a bill for a brand new genuine engine from the local main dealer. Including the fitting, it was under £2k and the engine was £1200 OTTOMH. That's a brand new Ford engine and not a reconditioned one.

But I digress...

They've cocked up the job and they should pay to put it right. Expect to have to take it to small claims court though.

smunchkin

Thanks for your replies!
The garage as we speak are fixing the car!!:T should have it back up to us next week! just hope they do a better job this time!

smunchkin

Hammyman

THe only good news is the damage caused should be sufficient to warrant a new/reconditioned engine. Glad you've got it sorted.