Incorrect car parts...who pays?

peeking_2

Hi everyone. I wonder if anyone out there has any thoughts on my recent car repair? I phoned a car parts store which is 12 miles from my home and asked if they had front discs and pads for my car. I gave them the reg, year and model and they said they had them. I drove to the shop and collected the parts. When fitting, it was noticed that the brake pads were a different size to the originals. So I took them back to the shop and they looked into their parts listings in more depth and found the correct pads. On my return the pads and discs were fitted and everything was fine until yesterday when I had my car serviced. They advised me that the discs were the wrong size and this had worn the new pads unevenly too. I called the car parts store and they told me that I should have noticed that the discs were the wrong size and so it was not their fault. Do you agree????

BeenThroughItAll

Amateurish fitter doesn't compare old with new when fitting.


Blames supplier of parts for not holding their hand during fitting.


I'm with the parts place on this one. Not their fault the person fitting the parts didn't do their job properly.


(bear in mind manufacturers of OEM parts won't necessarily keep up with every little change/spec during the lifetime of a car and there are loads of Franken-motors out there)

GwylimT

As a car owner and mechanic, if someone is unable to identify the correct part then they shouldn't be tinkering with that area of the car.

BeenThroughItAll

GwylimT wrote: »

As a car owner and mechanic, if someone is unable to identify the correct part then they shouldn't be tinkering with that area of the car.

Agreed.....

Captain_Flack.

peeking wrote: »

Hi everyone. I wonder if anyone out there has any thoughts on my recent car repair? I phoned a car parts store which is 12 miles from my home and asked if they had front discs and pads for my car. I gave them the reg, year and model and they said they had them. I drove to the shop and collected the parts. When fitting, it was noticed that the brake pads were a different size to the originals. So I took them back to the shop and they looked into their parts listings in more depth and found the correct pads. On my return the pads and discs were fitted and everything was fine until yesterday when I had my car serviced. They advised me that the discs were the wrong size and this had worn the new pads unevenly too. I called the car parts store and they told me that I should have noticed that the discs were the wrong size and so it was not their fault. Do you agree????

Depends on how you ordered the discs, did you order a specific size or do it from chassis number?

AdrianC

peeking wrote: »

I called the car parts store and they told me that I should have noticed that the discs were the wrong size and so it was not their fault. Do you agree????

Yes.

You had the old discs to compare to. You'd already noticed the pads had been wrongly supplied, yet still didn't compare the discs. Nor did you notice a mismatch in the size of the discs and pads you fitted.

What car is it? I suspect that there's two different choices for front brakes on that car, yours has the larger, smaller-engined models have the smaller.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Captain_Flack. wrote: »

Depends on how you ordered the discs, did you order a specific size or do it from chassis number?

chassis number irrelevant to discs and pads many cars on the same chassis and engine numbers, cars can have different size pads and discs for the same application, the reg tells them what car it is and what is fitted to those models which can be many types of braking systems to choose from.


many cars have different fitment, for example with wear indicator without wear indicator, vented non vented, 220mm 214mm 5 stud 4 stud bosch caliper lucas caliper, change over month.


generally youll be asked these questions if there are many choices in their system if you cant narrow it to two then your asked to take the parts off and bring them in for matching, if you cant do that then leave it to a garage who can through experience identify the parts or take them off and have them matched up.


the fitter made an error in this case.

Captain_Flack.

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

chassis number irrelevant to discs and pads many cars on the same chassis and engine numbers, cars can have different size pads and discs for the same application, the reg tells them what car it is and what is fitted to those models which can be many types of braking systems to choose from.


many cars have different fitment, for example with wear indicator without wear indicator, vented non vented, 220mm 214mm 5 stud 4 stud bosch caliper lucas caliper, change over month.


generally youll be asked these questions if there are many choices in their system if you cant narrow it to two then your asked to take the parts off and bring them in for matching, if you cant do that then leave it to a garage who can through experience identify the parts or take them off and have them matched up.


the fitter made an error in this case.

How do you have two cars with the same chassis and engine numbers?

He's me thinking they were unique.

Daz2009

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

chassis number irrelevant to discs and pads many cars on the same chassis and engine numbers, cars can have different size pads and discs for the same application, the reg tells them what car it is and what is fitted to those models which can be many types of braking systems to choose from.


many cars have different fitment, for example with wear indicator without wear indicator, vented non vented, 220mm 214mm 5 stud 4 stud bosch caliper lucas caliper, change over month.


generally youll be asked these questions if there are many choices in their system if you cant narrow it to two then your asked to take the parts off and bring them in for matching, if you cant do that then leave it to a garage who can through experience identify the parts or take them off and have them matched up.


the fitter made an error in this case.

The clue is in the intials VIN....Vehicle Identification Number.
It is an unique number which you need to use when ordering parts from most suppliers these days.It's not foolproof but it's a lot better than saying 54 plate Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 for example.The next best option is the registration number.

In this case the supplier is at fault for supplying the wrong parts and the fitter is also at fault for not checking and fitting the wrong parts

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Captain_Flack. wrote: »

How do you have two cars with the same chassis and engine numbers?

He's me thinking they were unique.

I meant engine code.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Daz2009 wrote: »

The clue is in the intials VIN....Vehicle Identification Number.
It is an unique number which you need to use when ordering parts from most suppliers these days.It's not foolproof but it's a lot better than saying 54 plate Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 for example.The next best option is the registration number.

In this case the supplier is at fault for supplying the wrong parts and the fitter is also at fault for not checking and fitting the wrong parts

what do you think the reg contains on the system to the best option?


REG numbers on the master cat, gives you date of reg not the date it was made, it gives color, chassis, engine code make model, engine CC etc.


it doesn't tell you FDB1032 pads fit this car. it will give you a possible list with engine code with or without certain equipment fitted and different size parts fitted to that year make and model. its upto the parts clerk garage or indevidiual to know what is on the cars to assist in identifying the parts.