In a tricky situation with a garage

wiseguydigital

Almost a week ago we took our car to a Renault garage so that they could look at a problem we were having starting the car. The car (10 years old) wouldn't start first time, but always started 2nd or 3rd time. The problem began when the previous battery died, and then a new battery was put in. Since then we have even driven across France with no problems apart from the annoyance of the car not starting first time.

We rang a dealer as we were told by a friend that it was a problem with the immobiliser, so we would need to go to Renault. We rang a dealer, explained we didn't want to spend much money as the car is old and not worth investing lots of money into. The dealership said they would take a look and diagnose the problem. So after about 30 minutes of them tinkering they thought they had fixed the problem, charged us and we went out to collect our car.

However, it wouldn't start at all. They said they would need to take another look at it, but it would take a little longer, so they offered us a courtesy car of the same age.

That was 4 days ago. They still haven't fixed the problem and now they are saying that we will need to pay for new parts (possibly a new computer) and labour, they haven't told told us how much labour yet and they also don't know whether this will fix the problem?!?

So basically, we took a working car into the garage. They didn't know how to fix the problem but went ahead anyway, the car no longer works and now they are saying that we must pay for it all to be fixed.

I'm just looking for advice on what we can do, as I believe that the garage should absorb the cost, as I would have to in my business?

Hintza

wiseguydigital wrote: »

I'm just looking for advice on what we can do, as I believe that the garage should absorb the cost, as I would have to in my business?

Don't think so unless you think they he damaged the car or been negligent in anyway. However they should e keeping you up to speed on the costs so farand where the costs are likely to rise to.

Old cars break and sometimes trying to fix them can make it worse.

C'est la guerre!

Gordon_Hose

Your car wasn't working properly so you took it to the garage, asked them to fix it. They couldn't and it got worse and you want them to pay for it?

LOL!

Unless you can prove they made the issue worse, I think you should pay up. Your car had a starting issue to begin with, and it got worse...faults tend to get worse if you don't see to them straight away.

I don't think the garage is liable at all.

Strider590

Would have been better off joining a forum for that car's owners and seeing what their experiences are with that problem

wiseguydigital

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

Your car wasn't working properly so you took it to the garage, asked them to fix it. They couldn't and it got worse and you want them to pay for it?

LOL!

Unless you can prove they made the issue worse, I think you should pay up. Your car had a starting issue to begin with, and it got worse...faults tend to get worse if you don't see to them straight away.

I don't think the garage is liable at all.

I think perhaps I should have expanded a little further. The car ran fine, in fact we have done around 2000 miles in it recently. It just had a small issue when starting the car. It was only a case of not working first or second time, but we have been using it for ages.

We took the car into the garage as they said they would run a diagnostic. It was actually starting first time at the garage and the mechanic asked where the problem was, but we informed him that it's a little temperamental. They said they could fix it, we paid for the repair. When we then went out to the car it would not start. This is as a result of whatever they did to 'cure' the car.

Now, I have been in contact and the garage wants £150+VAT for parts and £360+VAT labour for us to have the car fixed.

The bottom line to me is simple. We took a car in for a diagnostic that had a small starting issue, to see if the car could be fixed easily (which we made very clear at the start). We were informed that it could be repaired. They 'repaired' the car. We paid for the repair. Now it won't work after the work they have carried out, and they want us to pay for it. And you think this is normal?

Gordon_Hose

What did they do to "repair" the car, and what did they say the issue was?

At the end of the day you had an issue when you took it to the garage, regardless of how intermittent it was. It's a 10 year old car, that had a fault that you didn't get looked at for 2000 miles, or more.

You didn't take a working car to the garage, why would you take a working car to the garage anyway?

wiseguydigital

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

What did they do to "repair" the car, and what did they say the issue was?

At the end of the day you had an issue when you took it to the garage, regardless of how intermittent it was. It's a 10 year old car, that had a fault that you didn't get looked at for 2000 miles, or more.

You didn't take a working car to the garage, why would you take a working car to the garage anyway?

Let me put this another way. If the mechanic had informed me after the diagnostic that to fix my car was going to cost £700, I would have 100% said no to the repair and continued to use the car as it was. However they said it could be fixed, we paid for the fix. It was then that the car became unusable, and we have been faced with a large bill to get our car back on the road.

Oh and it was a Renault garage in France btw who said it wasn't a major problem and we could get it fixed in the UK.

Gordon_Hose

So what did the garage repair?

GEEGEE8

I don't have any advice, but have to agree that it seems unfair that you now have a car that doesn't work at all and £700 to pay

wiseguydigital

Gordon_Hose wrote: »

So what did the garage repair?

I think it was an issue with the UCH (not 100% sure of the name tbh - don't know much about the computers in cars) which was to do with the immobiliser? Some 'type' setting was changed from Type 1 to Type 2 and also connections were fixed on the TDC sensor? (this is all foreign to me so hope I have it right). I guess the setting is something in the engine computer.

Believe me, I'm not someone that likes doing things like this. I always pay my way, but on this occasion I feel a little bit like I have been dumped in it.

wiseguydigital

GEEGEE8 wrote: »

I don't have any advice, but have to agree that it seems unfair that you now have a car that doesn't work at all and £700 to pay

Thanks GEEGEE8, it just isn't what you need when you have a baby on its way and suddenly comes out of the blue!