Poor Service.

[d7ve_b 44 1 Cars]

I'd like to understand why automotive service providers i.e. garages are able to provide such continual poor service and yet stay in business. Here are a summary of my recent experiences:

 

1. Book car in with local garage number 1 for rear wheel bearing replacement. They replace rear wheel bearing and give the car back with the wheels completely mis-aligned, and it was bloody obvious just looking at it (the wheels looked like this: l------\ . Apparently they didn't notice that the standard suspension is adjustable.

 

2. Book car in with local garage number 2 for thermostat change and provide OEM stat. They replace it and at the same time manage to snap the oil dipstick tube, cross thread two screws that hold an engine cover in place and at the same time round the screw heads off. The cost of the replacement parts is now more than it cost to have the stat changed.

 

3. Book car in with garage number 3 for £1k's of suspension work and when I get it back I'm told that the N/S outer CV boot is split and should be replaced. Could they not have rang me when doing the suspension work and done it all at once? As I was spending a grand on kit surely I would obviously have the boot done at the same time....this isn't a big issue but still a bit irritating.

 

4. Book car in with garage number 4 to get aformentioned cv boot changed. The garage replaces boot. 100 miles and four weeks later the car goes in for MOT and fails on the aforementioned CV boot. The tester (who I trust as he tests all my cars and I've never had any issues) comments that the fitter hadn't mounted the boot properly so it's come loose and now the CV joint has munched the boot. The car now needs to go back for a new boot and then a retest.

 

I have more examples but it's getting me down just typing them out. I never choose garages based on cost as I'd rather pay extra for a decent quality of work, but it seems harder and harder to find these days

 

I can't wait to move into a house with a garage so I can just do the work myself.

[MerlinGTI 3]

Thats why no one has ever laid a spanner on my car other than me in the years ive owned it. If I dont know how to do something that breaks I learn how.

I even take a day off work when its MOT day and help MOT it.

 

Its taken about 4 years to undo all the previous bodges and f***-ups from earlier in its life!

 

I work in the motor trade, thats why I dont trust anyone in it ! If you had seen some of the donuts I went to college with back in the day that 'passed' you would understand

 

PS. Real men do it on the driveway

Edited February 4, 2011 by MerlinGTI

[d7ve_b 44 1 Cars]

PS. Real men do it on the driveway

Lol, it would be ok if I had a driveway. I have to do it in a car park outside my flat and I've already had run-ins with the neghbours over minor oil spilages/noise/just generally making the place look like a scrapyard.

[JRL 14 1 Cars]

some jobs need to be done at a garage. knowing a good mechanic is so important like they always say its not what you know but who you know. Its not fair to Generalise but I feel the motortrade is full of rip off cowboys.

[large 33]

some jobs need to be done at a garage.

 

Like What? Most jobs can be done at the side of the road (I know).

I hate the non commitment of people, I can't change that engine because I haven't got a garage or an engine crane. Man it up and just get on with it!

 

I agree with the original post, having friends who worked in a main dealer some of the stuff that was done had to be bordering on criminal.

Edited February 4, 2011 by large

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

some jobs need to be done at a garage.

 

Such as what?

[d7ve_b 44 1 Cars]

Like What? Most jobs can be done at the side of the road (I know).

I hate the non commitment of people, I can't change that engine because I haven't got a garage or an engine crane. Man it up and just get on with it!

Whilst I broadly agree with this, I do not have a road to do it at the edge of. I'm also bordering on having major neighbour issues due to recently changing a front wheel bearing on the pug in the car park. I had to leave the car on axle stands for 2 days whilst I sorted getting a local garage to press out the old bearing and press the new one in. As a result I got lots of grief from neighbours going on about it being unsightly/unsafe/inappropriate etc. I appreciate that it's none of their business but when you live so close to these people you can live without the hassle.

 

Anyway, the flats up for sale now so roll on a new gaff and some more private space

[SurGie 54]

If some one goes to a garage and look like they dont know anything about the problem or cars in general then they nearly always (apart from the good ones) take the piss.

 

Many of my female friends and female friends of the family have many stories to tell where they just get the piss taken out of them, it seems common practice ime.

 

Also id tell them to go fook them selves, its none of their business even if they live next door where the hell are you suppose to keep your car any ways ? I live in a flat and no one would dare say a thing, although i use a council garage now, very cheap.

Edited February 4, 2011 by SurGie

[JRL 14 1 Cars]

Because I dont have the skills, certain tools and may need a professionals advice. For example I needed a press to do my wheel bearing. If I need help then i go to my friends garage. Nothing to do with not manning up or any of that macho BS.

Edited February 4, 2011 by JRL

[tomcolinjones 26]

Because I dont have the skills, certain tools and may need a professionals advice. For example I needed a press to do my wheel bearing. If I need help then i go to my friends garage. Nothing to do with not manning up or any of that macho BS.

 

if you feel you are that bad that you may not be able to put it back together again to go to work in it i can see your point.

i try everything at home.

off topic but where can i get a decent press from?

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Because I dont have the skills, certain tools and may need a professionals advice. For example I needed a press to do my wheel bearing. If I need help then i go to my friends garage. Nothing to do with not manning up or any of that macho BS.

 

So what your original post should have said then is, "For myself, certain jobs need to be done by a garage".

 

That is fair enough in my opinion, all too often on forums people get encouraged to do work which is way beyond their capabilities and resources.

 

But you cannot say that the statement holds true for everyone.

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

I've always done all the work on my car, but had a largish driveway and sometimes garage to use for bigger stuff. For outside the weather really affects things and would be less inclined to do anything major. As for changing engines etc on the street that's a no-no really unless you wear a string vest and have old tyres etc in the front garden Also for using communual car parks, you can understand neighbours voicing concerns as it doesn't look good to have a car in the air/bits overnight etc.

[large 33]

As for changing engines etc on the street that's a no-no really unless you wear a string vest and have old tyres etc in the front garden

 

OK I am scared now are you watching me!