Am I being oversensitive here?

CRH71

Yes, I know I've posted this on the Motoring Forums, it's motoring related.......

I have an old, but serviceable BMW Estate that I took into a local garage last week and asked to carry out some jobs on it that I can't do at the moment because I'm recovering from surgery.

Fairly simple stuff, like changing the thermostat and coolant, and investigate the fuel smell from the rear end.

Got the car back last Saturday and found it lost coolant all over the weekend - quite a bit. Tracked the issue down to the vent valve in the top of the radiator that had been snapped off and was leaking.
I ended up having to order the part from BMW and subsequently collecting it a couple of days later. In the meantime, the fuel smell was tracked down to corroded fuel lines, so these, along with the brackets and mounting hardware needed were duly also ordered from BMW.

Back went the car later this week for these parts to be fitted. At the same time, the exhaust was shown to be at the end of it's life, as was the propshaft "donut" (they actually let me look under the car whilst it was on the ramp and I verified these parts being needed myself - the exhaust snapped during removal!) so this was added to the list.

All in all, as you can imagine, this was not an inconsiderable sum of money to have to find.

Picked the car up today, just before they closed and put fuel in. Took my daughter out this afternoon to her party and she complains of "feeling sick" in the back of the car and her friend, who was travelling with us, said the same. Got home and I find that fuel has been flowing out from the top of the tank, I suspect from a pipe that has either not been reattached correctly, or has been knocked off during the works.

To the point of this post: At the moment, I feel both annoyed and disappointed - is my car really that old and decrepid that a mechanic cannot lower himself to work on it? Does nobody take pride in their work anymore?

I've written an email of complaint to them and fully intend to go back there first thing Monday and firmly ask them to rectify their mistake at no further charge to me but I still can't help feeling miffed and let down.

Am I right to feel like this? What would you suggest, or do, if faced with the above?

scheming_gypsy

I'd presume that they accidentally missed something off and i'd phone the garage. They'd no doubt apologise and fix the issue and it'd go down as an accident by the mechanic and he'll get a slap on the wrists. I definitely wouldn't write an email of complaint and decide they couldn't lower themselves to work on it.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

mechanics are human and make mistakes, all beit it youve had a bit of a rough ride with this garage, this is where experience comes in you wont go back and after and they have lost a loyal customer and good word of mouth to friends and family, try looking at http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/ to find a listed garage in your area.

cyclonebri1

No you are not wrong.
I speak as a retired mechanical/electrical engineer that in 40 years of motor ownership has yet to take take a car to a garage for anything other than it's annual inspection, and I used to drive some real rubbish.

2 reasons, well 3 really if you accept it's to save money;

I can do it myself
And I simply don't trust anyone to do as carefull and 100% completed job as I do/would.

Even though you rarely use a garage you need to find a local trusted outfit for when it does happen, the place I take mine for the mot will be mine, father and son outfit with 1 additional mechanic.
I take them about 4 or 5 different family cars each year, on 1st name terms etc and importantly I trust them. They'll get my buisiness when I can no longer be d

Round_The_Bend

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

try looking at http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/ to find a listed garage in your area.

Not wishing to put a spanner in the works, as I am sure that your recommendation was made with the best intentions, but look at the following link, which casts some doubt upon the integrity of the aforementioned scheme:

http://www.mukaumedia.co.uk/goodgarageschemecouk-how-do-you-respond-to-this/

I would love for there to be a genuine, no strings attached scheme, which identifies decent, honest tradesmen but to date, the best scheme that I have found has been 'word of mouth'.

CRH71

An update, for anyone following this thread:

Took the car back on Monday and complained. Got it up on the ramp and it was clear that one other pipe, running around the tank, was corroded badly and was now leaking - being a High Pressure pipe the loss was significant.

As a "belt and braces" approach, the tank was dropped and another three pipes discovered - these were all replaced.

I've now put a few miles on the car and refuelled and I am pleased to say that the problem is now cured. My pocket isn't (they presented an additional invoice to cover this work) but the car's much improved.