Faulty Part on Car

Cptralls

Hi All,

I had a part replaced on my car in March of this year, I had the part replaced by a mechanic who lived close to my parents (100 miles from where I live) This week a mechanic where I live told me the part is faulty and needs to be replaced. The mechanic called the supplier and they said that the part needs to be removed and checked by them before they can issue a refund. However, this means I would need to take the part to the supplier (100 miles away) and also means that the second mechanic bill coming my way is also not going to be covered. What are my rights with regards to this?

shiraz99

What "part" is it?

TELLIT01

Your rights are to contact the original mechanic to inform him of the situation and give him the opportunity to sort things.  It's not his fault that you live 100 miles away.  If the part is faulty the original mechanic may be able to claim his labour cost back (maybe, not definitely) but the 2nd mechanic will still need to be paid.  If the original mechanic had been involved throughout I wouldn't expect to pay for the job to be done a second time.

mattyprice4004

This is usually the case, and is a real pain in the posterior. 
Unfortunately by using another mechanic you're negating some of the rights you'd have; if you were local to the first mechanic it'd be their issue to start from start to finish. 

MattMattMattUK

Cptralls said:

Hi All,

I had a part replaced on my car in March of this year, I had the part replaced by a mechanic who lived close to my parents (100 miles from where I live) This week a mechanic where I live told me the part is faulty and needs to be replaced. The mechanic called the supplier and they said that the part needs to be removed and checked by them before they can issue a refund. However, this means I would need to take the part to the supplier (100 miles away) and also means that the second mechanic bill coming my way is also not going to be covered. What are my rights with regards to this?

What is the part and what is the fault? Have you already had the second mechanic remove the part? 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

OP the trader needs to cover the costs of return for "faulty" goods but only to where the consumer took physical possession of them.

The original mechanic should cover the costs of the part being swapped over, they'll likely wish to keep that as low as possible by doing so themselves rather than paying full rate for another mechanic to do the job. 

CRA states it doesn't prevent you for seeking other remedies including for damages, I have seen guidance suggesting if a faulty part caused your car to breakdown you may be able to claim the cost of recovery but reclaiming the cost of driving back to the original garage seems to contradict the specific point in the CRA of covering return only to where possession took place. 

Flight3287462

Did you buy the part and ask the mechanic to fit or did the mechanic supply and fit?

If the former then it will be you you who will need to foot the bill for removal and refitting.

Cptralls

It's a CV joint, the original mechanic purchased the part but has asked me to seek an alternative mechanic this time around due to distance issues. The part has not yet been changed.

Cptralls

TELLIT01 said:

Your rights are to contact the original mechanic to inform him of the situation and give him the opportunity to sort things.  It's not his fault that you live 100 miles away.  If the part is faulty the original mechanic may be able to claim his labour cost back (maybe, not definitely) but the 2nd mechanic will still need to be paid.  If the original mechanic had been involved throughout I wouldn't expect to pay for the job to be done a second time.

I already have contacted the original mechanic, he has asked me to find an alternative and to ask that company to contact the suppliers of the part which has happened.

Flight3287462

How much are we talking about here?

In my view you need to get the car and item back to the mechanic who fitted and get him to take off and replace.  If you can't get the car back to him then you will probably have to take it on the chin.

Anything else carries a risk, you could ask another mechanic to sort it and return part to original mechanic but you will be liable for labour and the original mechanic might fob you off.

Is the part OEM or decent branded alternative or cheap Chinese part?