Legal advice on where i stand with dealership and garage

Sue_t2022

Hi Everyone, 

I need some advise please

I bought a car on finance in March 2025, In middle of May 2025 when we got some warm weather I went to use my air con and it was warm so I had a diagnostic of the system and the condenser had many leaks. 
As this was outside of the 30 days warranty I thought its a simple fix so took it upon my self to use my local garage to fit a new condenser and re gas. 

Unfortunately my garage could not re gas due to a broken pipe and they decided they was going to get a full new air con system, within this time the owner suffered a death in the family and the unit was not ordered. 

As I was going away to the seaside I had to go else where to re gas, to my surprise the gas lasted 1 day, On my return home I contacted a second air con specialist to diagnosis the issue and he advised there was no gas and the leak was coming from pipe to condenser as it was not sitting flush, I then called the garage who fitted this who then advised to fetch it in, they levelled the condenser.

I had a further re gas, again lasted a day so I contact my garage who say to fetch it back in, they made some solution to test for leaks but found none.

I had a further regas, and again leaked after a day so it was back to the garage who tried to fit different seals with no joy ( this is when I found out they left on my old seals on ).

Within this period it went to another garage as i spoke to the dealership I bought from and he wanted it to go to the garage he uses, they diagnosed it to be the condenser OR the pipe.

Furthermore this then went back to my garage for a new condenser under warranty, and he ordered new seals to fit at this point too. 

I went else where to re gas - as again the garage hadn't got the new unit, and again the gas lasted a day.

Speaking with the dealership we agreed to go to a garage neither us had used for a diagnostic, again they checked did pressure and uv dye and no leaks, regassed and on my way. 

Within 2 days this has leaked out, so I contact the garage who I then later dropped with them and they had it for 9 days finally finding the issue, there was a crack in the coolant pipe which was damaged during condenser fitment, he ordered a new pipe fitted re gassed and so far so good. 

the garage who originally did the work will not take accountability for this but I don't know where I stand? 

sheslookinhot

How do you know the pipe was damaged during fitting of the condenser ? Were you paying for each regas? I would speak to the people who fitted the last condenser and see how they respond. 

Other than that, with so many hands on, it might well be the case you should just be happy to have a functioning AC system.

born_again

If you have a 3rd part report. Then you are looking at money claim online against the dealer that did the work. But it is not a 100% chance of winning.