Mechanic crashed my car!!!

chesca05

I took my car to a local garage to have my wing mirror repaired, I left it there whilst I went to work & when I came back I was told the apprentice (who had no license) had attempted to drive my car into the garage & crashed it into the ramp after his foot slipped on the accelerator. I was told it was only cosmetic damage & that it would be repaired in a couple of days & that they would mot my car for free as I had already booked it in for a few days later which I accepted. The couple of days turned into a week without a car as they were apparently waiting for parts and finally yesterday I got it back. After driving it around today the coolant warning light kept coming on and the car kept stalling (previous to the crash there had been no problem) after returning to the garage & him looking at it for an hour he said it was an air block that was now sorted, I went away with his word that it was safe enough to drive but now my engine light has come on & the car won't start unless the accelerator is pressed and it judders like the back of the bus when it slows down and comes to a stop.

What should I do now? I know my car's not right but the mechanic says there's nothing wrong with it. I don't want to have to take it to another garage and have to pay for repairs that I didn't cause! Should I contact my insurance? Would they be able to do anything?? Any help would be appreciated.

forgotmyname

Detail all the faults get a 2nd opinion from an independant garage and send/give them a letter stating what you want resolved.

Add any costs of getting the independant inspection onto anything you claim back.

arcon5

He said there was nothing wrong with it after you said it won't start-up
Talk to the garage again

C_Mababejive

The ideal thing to do would have been to report the damage to your insurer and have the car removed from their garage for repair at a suitable repairers . Have you informed your insurance company yet?

Hintza

C_Mababejive wrote: »

The ideal thing to do would have been to report the damage to your insurer and have the car removed from their garage for repair at a suitable repairers . Have you informed your insurance company yet?

Why would the OP inform their insurer? The OP was in the care of the garage and the OPs insurer will not be liable.

The OP needs to claim from the garage or their insurer.

colino

The garage did appear to be trying to do the right thing, but I'd go down the route of having the car checked over by another, independent, friendly, local, recommended garage and pay them to asses what has happened to the car and what else needs repaired. Armed with this professional opinion, go back to the garage and discuss the way forward, either further repair or cash buy-in for them. Unfortunately sticky stuff does happen and the garage do have to swallow the solution. It may have looked cosmetic to begin with, but it sounds much more involved now.

Strider590

Sounds like there was more damage than they told you about, I would have demanded to see it. I don't know what they could have done to cause the damage your describing though.

However when my car last went for MOT, I saw one of the technicians from the garage racing around the industrial estate in what I hope was his own car, doing handbrake turns and wheel spins. Unfortunately the garage trade isn't attractive to the sort of young lad that has any respect for other peoples property, it's a dirty industry and these days nobody wants to do it.
As someone said to me recently, all the electrician and mechanic courses at college are full of Council House Adolescent Vermin. This was not the case when I was at college 15 years ago, it was much more respectable trade back then (although mine is electronics and IT).

colino

Hypothetically, how about young improver puts MINI into reverse to take it off ramp and only realises he is in first when he flies off the front of the ramp and hits a workbench. Just a £7500 example of a, "learning experience".

forgotmyname

£7500 is cheap for a lesson in life that they wont ever repeat.

colino

Of course I agree that the £7500 was a lesson well learned and he has unbeatable loyalty, but he didn't have to take it out of his bottom line.

arcon5

They should be insured for this sort of thibh