Garage charging for unnecessary work...

Wilf23

Hi All,

Wondered if you could help me. I own a Ford Fiesta Zetec 2005. In October 2015 I took it to a garage for a full service and MOT, I've been going to this garage for 12 years and trust them entirely. I moved away from the area and took the same car for a service at a different garage last week using a groupon deal. When I booked it in I told them the car was making a bit of a whirring noise and it may be a wheel bearing, but I wasn't sure so they said they'd look at them for me.

Shortly after dropping it in they rung me and realed off a ton of extra work that needed doing, including replacing the wheel bearing on the O/S rear. They told me it was in an horrific state so I told them to proceed whilst telling them not to bother with all the other items that were clearly not required.

I wasn't able to check what wheel bearing was replaced in 2015 until today but when I looked it turns out it was the same one on the O/S rear. I know wheel bearings last longer than 10,000 miles/18 months. The whirring noise it still there too.

Where do I stand on this? I will ask for a refund but I know they'll tell me the other garage didn't replace it so they put a new one on. If they say this I will tell them I will get the wheel bearing inspected and if it's 18months old then I believe I'll have enough evidence. I believe they have seen that the wheel bearing was fairly new and have told me they replaced it as a means of getting £170 out of me. If it is new then I have no evidence that hey replaced it for the sake of it. Feel frustrated that I mentioned there might be a problem with a wheel bearing as it gave them free reign to charge me for a new one.

Can anyone recommend any other advice or steps to take?

Many thanks

consumers_revenge

which branch of halfrauds did you visit?

Jackmydad

£170 for a fifteen quid bearing and an hours work?
That sounds expensive to me.
If the bearing had gone within a few weeks of fitting then you might have a case, but after this amount of time I can't see you getting anything from them.
I changed the front wheel bearing on one car we had. Got a decent bearing. Pressed in the new bearing correctly etc and it lasted about 12 months. Next one I fitted lasted the rest of the time we had the car. Several years.

Wilf23

Hi Jack,

I'm not questioning the garage that changed it in 2015, I'm questioning why the garage i took it to last week changed it when it had only done 10000 miles. I have a feeling they've told me they've changed it but in fact haven't done anything. In theory I should have a brand new O/S rear wheel bearing, but I have a suspicioun that it will be the same wheel bearing that was put on in 2015.

The garage in 2015 only charged £90 for supply and fit.

Jackmydad

I thought it was the same garage, but it doesn't make any difference.
Wheel bearings can fail prematurely. Same as anything.
What actually makes you think that they didn't change the bearing?
It's hard to see how you can prove it even if they didn't.

Wilf23

No it was a different garage. And the wheel bearing hadn't failed, I expressed concern at a noise that might have been a wheel bearing or simply the noise of tyres on the road, and whatever the case the noise is still there.

I can prove it by getting a different garage to inspect the wheel bearing this week to verify it's one week old or 18 months old? Unless that doesn't prove conclusive?

Jackmydad

Maybe someone else will know differently, but I doubt very much if it'll be possible to prove conclusively that the bearing wasn't changed by normal inspection.

If I thought a garage had done this to me, I wouldn't bother with trying to prove it, I just wouldn't use them again.

Wilf23

Thanks Jack, it's why I'm on here really, to see if it's even worth bothering with. Frustrating from my end as I've read some bad reviews of similar behaviour. Don't like to see people like this ripping others off.

Jackmydad

Wilf23 wrote: »

Thanks Jack, it's why I'm on here really, to see if it's even worth bothering with. Frustrating from my end as I've read some bad reviews of similar behaviour. Don't like to see people like this ripping others off.

I don't like the idea of myself or others being ripped off either.
At the end of the day though, I reckon you're going to have extra cost, and end up still not really proving anything. Another mechanic might be able to give an opinion, but that's all it would be. Not proof.
I've known several people over the years who have started doing their own car repairs as far as possible for reasons much the same as this.
If you want to use a garage the usual advice is to find a reliable smaller local one based on recommendation.

AdrianC

Wheel bearings can be very hard to identify conclusively - they "throw their voices" very well indeed.

And 10k miles is a short life for a wheel bearing, but if the old one was fitted by a halfwit, dry of grease or with a hammer instead of a press, it's far from surprising.

angrycrow

If the noise is still there check the tyre for saw tooth wear, most likely on rear. I had a tyre replaced last week the had severe sae tooth wear which made a noise just like a wheel bearing between 65 and 72 mph. This wear was caused by a sticking rear brake calliper dragging and over heating the tyre.