Car Beyond Economical Repair

fred246

They aren't willing to fix they are willing to keep changing random parts and have demonstrated already that they haven't got a clue what they are doing.

Tokk

AndyMc..... wrote: »

Because they've done work on the car, they're willing to fix it at a cost the op isn't happy with.

They're willing to keep trying to fix it (using OP's hard-earned), but so far haven't got anywhere... Would've thought if they knew what was wrong to begin with this would be a non-issue.

Or maybe we're not being told everything here - if they told OP "it might be just X, but it could also be Y or Z, but we can't possibly tell until we start replacing things" and laid out what the costs might be, then that's one thing, but if they've said "we know what it is, it's X" "we've done X and it hasn't worked but now we know it's Y" "we've done Y and that hasn't worked, we're sure it's Z now, please give us £900 and we'll let you know how that goes" then I think most of would be mighty !!!!ed.

System

If they tell me the problem is X, they do X and it doesn't fix it I would accept X+Y with a partial discount on the work done for X because sometimes you need to get into something to find out what the actual problem is. However especially considering that there was 3hrs diagnostic work done in the beginning once you start to throw in Z as well then quite frankly there needs to be some very hard and firm discussions had because it being Z should have been diagnosed ideally before starting work but definitely when X was done and didn't fix the problem.

Most mechanics are crap at two things, electrics and gearboxes and often they'll just keep changing bits til it works because they haven't a clue as often its something the computer can't tell them what the fault is so it involves diagnostic skills they just don't have.

It is quite interesting that when it comes to HGVs which have had this type of "automatic" gearbox fitted for years you don't get this happening. Maybe it is because they make damned sure they know what the actual fault is due to the size and weight of what they have to work on and the fact that the longer it is off the road the more money it is costing their customer and if you're in a habit of stringing out repairs you won't be a HGV garage for much longer.

I have no idea where it became acceptable for garages to do what they've done to the OP and expect to be paid for everything they've done, at least half of it being completely unneeded. At the very least the unnecessary labour should be waived.

AndyC wrote:

As you are now, you've already given the go-ahead for the £1,400 of work. You owe that. The time has been spent, the parts have been fitted.

But they haven't done the job they were being paid for. They've not fixed the fault, they haven't even managed to successfully diagnose what the fault is, they're merely continuing to make guesses because if it was this £900 fix they finally reckon it was they should have either found it when doing the 3hrs diagnosis or most definitely when they did the first fix that didn't work. In fact when doing the first fix it should have been blatantly obvious once the gearbox was in bits that wasn't the issue and neither was the second attempt.