car problem returned - how do i complain

annegler

Hi...I am really hoping someone can help...
My son's car failed its MOT in November on emmisions etc and after fitting a "sensor" and paying £200 plus, he was told the problem was fixed and passed the MOT.
He has travelled 500 miles max and the problem has returned. He has taken it to another garage today - who found the ommisions reading to be the same as when it originally "failed" the MOT and questioned whether a sensor of any type was fixed and if so doubted it would cost £174 plus VAT. (the invoice was vague)
It really does seem that the garage saw a young male driver with minimal knowledge of mechanics and (?possibly) took advantage. the garage (we have since found out) has a bit of a reputaion.
We have been advised to return to the garage and confront them. Sounds easy, but could really do with some advice on how to get the desired result.

pcombo

Why dont you check the MOT records online and see what previous fails were in the cars life.

Hintza

What problem returned? How would you know it had an emmisions problem after the MOT?

Flyboy152

Hintza wrote: »

What problem returned?

My son's car failed its MOT in November on emmisions etc and after fitting a "sensor" and paying £200 plus, he was told the problem was fixed and passed the MOT

How would you know it had an emmisions problem after the MOT?

He has taken it to another garage today - who found the ommisions reading to be the same as when it originally "failed" the MOT

Hintza

Flyby do you have a problem?

I very much doubt most people drop in to garages to have their emmisions checked! It passes its MOT and that will be that until either a service or the next MOT or there is a specific problem that is showing up.

So I think it was reasonable to ask what the problem was.

pendulum

Yes, I think Flyboy missed the point there. What's the visible/audible problem that made your son go to the garage yesterday and get his emissions checked? Blowing exhaust, warning light etc. and was this problem occurring at the time of the MoT in November?

Flyboy152

Hintza wrote: »

Flyby do you have a problem?

I very much doubt most people drop in to garages to have their emmisions checked! It passes its MOT and that will be that until either a service or the next MOT or there is a specific problem that is showing up.

So I think it was reasonable to ask what the problem was.

I would imagine the "check engine" light came on, like it does with most cars built after 2000.

George_Michael

I would imagine the "check engine" light came on, like it does with most cars built after 2000.

But the OP doesn't make any mention of a "check engine" light in their original post. They simply stated that the car failed the MOT due to high emissions.

If a light did appear at the time of the first fault, you would have thought that this would have been investigated before taking the car for an MOT, and that it would have at least been mentioned in the first post.

Flyboy152

Does it matter?

George_Michael

Yes, I think it does matter.

If there was no visible indication of high emissions, why as Hintza mentioned, was the car taken into a garage for another test?.
How can people give advice without knowing all the relevant facts about the problem, what may have caused it, how it appeared etc.

peachyprice

Flyboy152 wrote: »

Does it matter?

Of course it matters!

If, as you say it would, the 'check engine' light came on before the car failed it's MOT, then went out after the 'repair' had taken place, the original garage either fitted the sensor or tampered with the car to make the light go out.

If the 'check engine' light came on again prompting OP's son to go to a garage they will either find the tampering or a failed sensor.

A new sensor that subsequently failed is not the fault of the first garage, that would be down to the parts manufacturer, if the original garage tampered with the car that is a whole different ball game.

But as there was absolutely no mention of this 'check engine' light in the OP it's a moot point really.