Garage has damaged my car

rcooke69

Please can you help folks?

Long story so please bear with me

My car was in the garage for a service on Monday and as part of the work they replaced the brakes. All was fine but then on Friday during my drive home my brakes failed. Thankfully no accident but it caused me to drive from work to the garage (about 5 miles) using the handbrake and gears to slow down.

When I got to the garage they apologised and it turns out the valve on the brakes hadn't been sealed and in the course of the week all the brake fluid had drained out.

Although very annoyed this wasn't the best bit...

While I waited for them to fix the car one of the mechanics moved the car to the road to allow another car onto the ramp. When he was getting out of the car another car hit the door totally destroying the door and front wing.

The guy who hit my car said it was the mechanics fault and the mechanic blamed the driver. I was in the waiting room of the garage and didn't see a thing. Needless to say I was fuming, my car is unmoveable and the garage owner had to drive me home.

He instantly offered me a courtesy car which I will get tomorrow but I don't know what my rights are with regards to the bad service and the accident.

Obviously the garage will repair the damage, unless their insurance company writes it off, but what do I do if they do write it off? What am I entitled to?

I am concerned that:-

1) Initial brake fault caused by bad service
2) Car damaged while in their care

Please help and advise guys

Rob

Rossy.

Is this a reputable company i.e kwik sh*t ?

I wouldn't stand for that at all. Brakes are an extremely important part of the car. I'm suprised though you didn't notice the brakes were extra spongey but as they were new they usually feel slighly diferent anyway. Did the car not leave any leaks of brake fluid? Surely when you parked and applied the brakes you would have noticed the fluid stain on the floor the next time you drove it?

Moving on i'd demand a courtesy car as they are doing. They will have to repair your car in any case as they were in charge of your vehicle when the RTC happened

I highly doubt a door and wing will make the car un repairable. What car is it?

rcooke69

Rossy. wrote: »

Is this a reputable company i.e kwik sh*t ?

I wouldn't stand for that at all. Brakes are an extremely important part of the car. I'm suprised though you didn't notice the brakes were extra spongey but as they were new they usually feel slighly diferent anyway. Did the car not leave any leaks of brake fluid? Surely when you parked and applied the brakes you would have noticed the fluid stain on the floor the next time you drove it?

Moving on i'd demand a courtesy car as they are doing. They will have to repair your car in any case as they were in charge of your vehicle when the RTC happened

I highly doubt a door and wing will make the car un repairable. What car is it?

Rossy - It was a local garage. I noticed the brakes didn't feel right but was told that it was usual and that I could return the car if I wasn't happy. I also never noticed any brake fluid on the floor.
My car is a Toyota Yaris (52 plate).

As for the damage I think it will only be a replacement of the door and front wing but looking at it the main side panel is also damaged but their insurance guy will confirm that.

Am I entitled to anything from the garage apart from their apology and a courtesy car?

McKneff

If they sort the brakes out and they mend your car, what is it that you want.
Brakes, not very professional of the garage, but the other was an accident, pure and simple.

Rossy.

I agree with McKneff

It was highly irresponsible of the garage to fail at such a simple mechanical procedure. It doesn't show much faith in their mechanical skills if that makes sense.

If you wanted compensation you could ask but as you haven't been injured and your brakes didn't cause you an accident i highly doubt you'd get any money - even though they are highly at fault.

I'd raise the brake issue with trading standards as like i said brakes are the only thing stopping 1+ tonnes of metal and without them someone could have been seriously injured

I think that as the car is on a 52 plate your looking at a car worth around £2.5-3k, the repairs for a door and wing will prob be around 1k if not slighly more so it should definately be economical to repair.

Definately take the courtesy car and insist on the car be repaired at a toyota approved body shop for piece of mind and check your brakes after.

Mankysteve

Did you loose all your brakes on a modern car you should just loose either front or back, unless very badly serviced.

The repairs will be between the garages insures and the car driver insures to sort out. If the mechanic was getting out of the car when the other persons car hit it then its the other person fault because they where moving.

Not sure about the bad repairs tbh but the contact trading standards sounds like a reasonable idea.

vaio

I agree the moving car driver is liable but who would have to pursue it I'm not so sure.

As the car driver is liable then has the mechanic actually done anything wrong? And if he hasn't then how does any liability attach to the garage? Does this mean it is the OP who needs to do the chasing?

Inactive

Mankysteve wrote: »

Did you loose all your brakes on a modern car you should just loose either front or back, unless very badly serviced.

The repairs will be between the garages insures and the car driver insures to sort out. If the mechanic was getting out of the car when the other persons car hit it then its the other person fault because they where moving.

Not sure about the bad repairs tbh but the contact trading standards sounds like a reasonable idea.

Not if the mechanic opened the door in to the path of a closely passing car it wasn't, it was clearly the fault of the mechanic.

Kilty_2

If they write it off it'll be exactly the same as if your insurance wrote it off - you argue over the value for a bit. Won't affect your no claims etc because it wasn't you that was driving.

Terrible service from the garage re: brakes and I'd complain a lot but I doubt you're entitled to anything. You've got a courtesy car whilst the insurance companies fight out liability for the accident so what more do you need?

cyclonebri1

Entitled or not the whole issue is a sham. You have been greatly inconvenienced by the garages negligent behaviour and deserve some compensation from the garage if on their part to avoid the damage to their reputation;)

I'm talking goodwil gesture here not hundreds in comp


They got the work wrong
You complained
They let you continue using it without checking
The brakes then failed
You had to drive it in
They then wrecked the car when it was in their care.

Paints a pretty poor picture when you read it like that:(

skiddlydiddly

I agree about some token from the garage, maybe a free service/MOT voucher.Nothing more than that as despite the problem with the brakes, the door was an accident and they have offered a courtesy can and to sort it out.

I seem to remember its the person opening the door's fault(even though when passing a parked car you are supposed to leave a gap wide enough for a door to open when possible).My cousin opened her door onto a cyclist and he claimed on her insurance.