Audi broke my car

Dazlaw

I have a 2010 audi a4 avant 2.0 tfsi. Last week the amber engine management light came on while I was out so parked the car on my drive and called an audi service garage and booked it in for a service and diagnostic session. I was told £500 for 2 services and £60 for diagnostics I told them what had happened and that the fault code was a p0016 on my fault reader.  Any way took it in and told them all the details of what had happened and the code car was running and driving when fldropped off. 2 hours later received a cal saying the valeter had driven the car over to the garage down the road parked it and now it wouldn't start. Now they said it would cost £1500 just to look at it and if the engine was broken then could cost £7000 plus. After I said this was unacceptable they then delivered the car back the next day on a lorry not running and said they would not touch it again. This is lister audi in worcester, I took it to the experts and ended up having to do the car myself as I need it as have a 4 month old baby that was born at 26 weeks. In the end it cost me a timing chain set and did the service myself. This to me seemed very unproffesional  as surely should receive car back in same condition as it went to the garage as told them the fault and they are the audi experts. Oh and to add insult to injury they damaged my front bumper putting the towing eye in as took a chunk out with a screw driver. This car had engine rebuild by audi at 36000 and is now on 78000 and has timing chain that is supposed to last at least 120000 miles. Well unless you let an audi approved garage demolish it for you. Surely thus isn't right

walwyn1978

Have you told the garage about the towing eye thing? Did you sign any paperwork which had any kind of clause in re: towing and exempting them from blame if they damaged it in towing? 

The rest of it: the garage gave you a quote, then changed their mind about costs when looking at the car, they let you know, you said no, they brought the car back.  Unless you’ve paid them any money for that bit, I’m not sure what they’ve done wrong there?

Grumpy_chap

Why would you pay for two services plus diagnostics?
They can only do one service at a time.
How far did you have to drive the car to Audi with the engine management light on?

flashg67

Did they actually break it, or is it just sod's law that it faulted whilst with them - they said (and you haven't disagreed) that the only drove it a short distance when it failed - if true, then not their fault?
The bumper damage maybe one to take up with them as a separate issue IMO 

EdGasketTheSecond

Why did they drive it at all with that code? They could have smashed the engine and should have known timing was out.

AdrianC

P0016 means the cam and crank position sensors disagree with each other.
That is going to either be a sensor problem... or the chain has stretched, possibly jumped teeth.

So, no, I don't think you can blame them for "breaking it", given that it was clearly breaking before you drove it to them.

fred246

Well if you have done the job yourself you will know it has been done properly. It's normal to have your car damaged when it goes to a garage. You should have learned a valuable lesson. If you want a job done properly DO IT YOURSELF.

[Deleted User]

fred246 said:

Well if you have done the job yourself you will know it has been done properly. It's normal to have your car damaged when it goes to a garage. You should have learned a valuable lesson. If you want a job done properly DO IT YOURSELF.

Its not normal to have your car damaged when it goes to a garage.
Take a break for Gods sake.

fred246

If they wreck your current car it gives them a chance to sell you a new one.

EdGasketTheSecond

I agree with both of fred246s last two posts. I and my relatives have experienced both from garages.

tacpot12

The garage is allowed to ask what they like, e.g. £1500, to look at an engine fault, but you don't have to accept it. They should not have offered the diagnostic work for £60 because you already knew what the fault code was. For the £60 they would have put the car on their diagnostic computer and told you what, in their "professional opinion" the cause of the fault could be. Further investigation was always going to cost £1500 at a main dealer. 

They should not have damaged your bumper and are liable for the damage while it was in their care. You should ask them to repair the damaged bumper for free. Initially by phone, or email, but then in writing in the form of a letter before action so that you can take them to court for the cost of the repair. I think you will struggle to prove that they damaged your engine. Yes, it started and drove when you delivered it to them, and did not start later, but they didn't do anything to cause this.