How much do I pay up if the garage can't fix my car?

yorkshire78

My car broke down in the spring. I had it towed to the local garage. They lent me a coutesy car. After a few weeks they said that I had two options as it was 'serious' - I could get a second hand engine installed if I could find one myself and it would cost about £1100 or they could try and fix it and that would cost me about £850 but it was a risk. I went for the risk. Now it is June and they say they can't fix it. It needs a second hand engine. They can't find one and they say it will be £1500 +VAT to have the car put all back together - it is all pieces in the garage. They let me have the courtesy car all this time. How much should I pay them? Nothing is fixed.

blacksta

A tricky one - A fair amount will be a token settlement of maybe a quarter of the fees or nothing. The car without any engine is useless to you anyway. What kind of car is it and age?

Hintza

You need to get them to give you a bill for work done to date (or at least ask him how much you owe so far).

Is it worth repairing.

spiro

Have they said how much ti will be just to have the car returned without the enging in situ?

When you say 'spring' please be more specific.

yorkshire78

It's a Citroen C4 2005. It would be £1100 + VAT if they don't put it back together. He is going to give me a breakdown tomorrow.

scheming_gypsy

I'd ask them where the extra £250 is coming from.

From what you've said, i'll say that you definitely owe them £850 + VAT as you opted for the risk and that was the price... So they tried to fix it but couldn't, which was the risk.

astgte

If theyve given the op a courtesy car for this whole length of time thats bound to be chargeable as well if it hasnt been paid for along the way?

scheming_gypsy

astgte wrote: »

If theyve given the op a courtesy car for this whole length of time thats bound to be chargeable as well if it hasnt been paid for along the way?

not sure, the length of time was down to the garage and do they charge for courtesy cars? if they did wouldn't that be a hire car? (if there's a difference between the two, but i always thought a courtesy car was loaned to you out of courtesy)