!!!HELP!!! WHATS MY OPTIONS?!?!?! Garage broken car

[LanceG]

HEy all!

I'll try to keep this long story as simple/short as possible.

Had a car (Audi A3)
- Was broken (Rocker arms) but running
- Took it to Audi, they said 3k (Can't afford thattttttt)
- Took it to garage (Somewhere in Walton) 2 weeks went pass they told me to collect... paid £350 and it broke down on the way home (Back to garage)
- 6 weeks later (After being told week after week that there's another problem and another problem I went down there and asked for an update: Was told I need a new engine because they've broken** it.
(Car now not running)

What are my options

**Broken - They've said because they've been dismantling and putting back together the engine so many times (this makes me think, they were making problems up to cover this one), the thread which holds the tensioner to the engine has lost it's thread so won't hold the tensioner onto the engine.

 

[Cambaines]

So they're admitting it's there fault? I would try my hardest to get them to sort it out! If there pulling threads out then they mustn't be using the correct torque settings on parts that need to be torqued up correctly?


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[CoolAsIce]

Sounds like rubbish to me. A bolt can go in and out 100's of times without damage to the threads, at worst it will wear them down a bit. I'm a mechanic, I've been on training courses where they have engine rigs, these engines are stripped and worked on day in day out without damage. They've damaged it, simple as that.

Blame aside, a stripped thread doesn't require a new engine. Something like a helicoil to repair it would be perfectly fine.

 

[LanceG]

So they're admitting it's there fault? I would try my hardest to get them to sort it out! If there pulling threads out then they mustn't be using the correct torque settings on parts that need to be torqued up correctly?


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He's saying he did but to be honest I think they've rushed it and messed up because they were rushing and using different excuses to cover it up.

Sounds like rubbish to me. A bolt can go in and out 100's of times without damage to the threads, at worst it will wear them down a bit. I'm a mechanic, I've been on training courses where they have engine rigs, these engines are stripped and worked on day in day out without damage. They've damaged it, simple as that.

Blame aside, a stripped thread doesn't require a new engine. Something like a helicoil to repair it would be perfectly fine.

I would've thought not too, I thought a screw can be replaced but you can't replace them because they're particular sizes and bolts straight from the engine itself.

 

[Cambaines]

I'm with coolasice on this one... Unless something else has gone because of this thread issue then it should be fixable, you can get helicoil kits for all threads and sizes, I would find out some more information on the work that has to be done and simply try and get them to fix it for you, try and get what he's said in an email if you can, it's in writing then? He may not be so silly though


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[LanceG]

SO... 3 months later after alerting trading standards, the ombudsman, checkatrade, ADR, and Writing the garage a letter I eventually got an email from the ombudsman and they said that Shane got in contact with them and supposedly was trying to get a hold of me but couldn't get through so phone the garage and get the car because its fixed.

So i phone GB Motorz and Shane argues with me that I slagged his name everywhere and the car has been fixed for 3 weeks when he as back from holiday

So I've asked the guy how is the car fixed if I have needed a new engine for 3 months, you've come back from a holiday and fixed it in a day, he says hes rethreaded the hole and put a slightly larger on one side modified bolt and fixed it

So the cars fixed, albeit it drives like POO, idle is shaky, esp light on, steering wheel light on and flat tire light. I asked for paperwork for the extensive amount of work done and was told theres no paperwork.... and thats it.... theres no paper work... 3 months with my car and theres no paperwork but the cars fixed...

Gonna sell the thing now anyway... I don't trust the garages work and don't want the headache of it.

got a 318i e46 as a temp thing whilst I have no luxury Audi but its SLOW AS F*CK

 

[CoolAsIce]

Not a great outcome, but you do at least have a running car, albeit not very well. I'm sure you could keep chasing for more but sometimes it's just not worth it, I think getting shot of the car is a good idea, start fresh, as the car will never be the same to you again now.

 

[leshkin]

If there is one thing I've learned over the years of dealing with garages and various other tradesmen is to avoid places that can't even spell their name properly, like "GB Motorz" or "Phones4U".

Sorry about the outcome