Car Stuck in Garage For Two Weeks - What is Reasonable? Should it be Compensated?

Anon

I need some advice please.

My car needed a part replacing (warning light on dashboard - apparently a common fault that other manufacturers replaced but Vauxhall haven't and now an automatic MOT fail :mad:) - I duely took the car to the garage (unit of a large chain) and the part was sent away for repair, which was supposed to be a 2-3 day turnaround, possibly a few days more due to weekend etc. Two weeks later, I still hadn't got my car back as the courier lost the part for the best part of that time and I had one reason/excuse after another about where it was, when it would be repaired and when it would be back -with no clear date of return. Looking at Which/Consumer Direct etc I appreciate my contract is with the garage and they have in some ways been let down by their suppliers, but I am the one who has been stuck without a car for most of that time and I believe this is way beyond reasonable (and identifiably not a repair of part issue, but an unreliable delivery company in the supply chain, if that is true).

Being the school holidays, this has meant over a week of missed day trips, an expensive hire car to avoid missing a pre-booked long weekend trip to a theme park, a lot of phone calls/hassle and effectively ruined over a week of my children's holiday (and for my wife and I!).

I appreciate that the garage may well pay for the hire car (though not discussed yet), but should I be able to claim for anything else to compensate for the ruined holidays/unreasonable amount of time taken? It is only because I don't know my rights that I haven't had a hire car for the duration which would be a significantly higher bill to sort out but would have caused less disruption.

Many thanks

Anon

jase1

The warning light isn't faulty -- it's just telling you that something else is broken, so Vauxhall can't be blamed for this.

The repairing garage have no obligation to provide a courtesy car. Presumably this light has been on for a while -- why didn't you get it seen to earlier?

The fault could be anything from a trivial sensor malfunction to a knackered engine.

spacey2012

What is the part ? Most parts are 1 hour delivery off the shelf these days.

On MOT, a lot of Vauxhalls are going to be failing the MOT, the eml light is a feature on their cars.

Anon

Thank you for your replies. They don't have to provide a courtesy car but are expected to repair in a reasonable amount of time. Two weeks isn't reasonable?

The ABS pressure sensor failure is apparently a well known fault on Vauxhall's and others using this ATE unit? Part is around £1800 to replace from Vauxhall or cheaper to repair (with a few days turnaround).

Anon

spacey2012

One of these ? about two hours labour to fit if you mess about.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ABS-Vauxhall-Astra-H-and-Zafira-B-ATE-MK-60-Hydraulic-Rebuild-2-Years-Warranty-/300633700270

jase1

Didn't realise Vauxhall were using that Teves unit as well -- usually it's VWs that have this fault.

Agree with spacey -- this isn't a cheap fault but it shouldn't be time-consuming to sort -- failures of these parts are so common that a cottage industry has built up to fix the things.

Prothet_of_Doom

You think a garage is liable for an estimated time ? Think again. No garage will commit to anything and if they had written t&c's it would probably say "If we like you and the part is available, we'll try and keep to the estimate we gave you, but don't make plans to use the car, because it could be as long as it takes"

You might find that the people in a chain put customer service lower than someone who owns the business, and risks loosing his house if he can't get repeat business.

I'm very cynical, having been let down so many times in so many ways.

Anon

Yes that's the part - ATE Teves - agree not difficult for a garage to fit as I read up on it (though I wouldn't do it with it being linked to brakes and not knowing one end of a spanner from the other ), they sent it away to the "cottage industy" with a good reputation to fix it but something has gone wrong with the supply chain/delivery as it took 2 weeks, hence my annoyance/frustration.

There is a new Motor Code which stresses the importance of "reasonable time" hence my query - apparently the industry is trying to clean up its act and that includes committing to timings/costs etc.

Anon

OddballJamie

spacey2012 wrote: »

What is the part ? Most parts are 1 hour delivery off the shelf these days.

On MOT, a lot of Vauxhalls are going to be failing the MOT, the eml light is a feature on their cars.

Wow, you really like to knock Vauxhall every chance you get.

spacey2012

Not really but having suffered two, I do like to warn the others what you have in store.
They really are absolute dogs that fall apart at an almost pre-defined point .
If you have one now that has not reached that point, enjoy, but start putting a few quid away, there is a storm on the horizon.

jase1

I wouldn't go that far but GM cars in general (Vauxhall, Saab and Daewoo/Chevrolet) do seem to have more than their fair share of expensive problems.

Not a company that would be my first choice, unless the car was very cheap.