Timing chain jumped when having the clutch replaced

[millinb]

I just wanted to share my recent bad luck with my A3 1.4tfsi 2011, I've had the car since 2017 and it had only just done 38k at that time. It has been serviced and MOT'd the same time each year and has not given me any problems, always starts, no problems with performance etc until this year when it started to have a creaking from the drivers side which the garage looked at and said was the drivers shock. Also the lady I bought the car from had the most insane heels that she drove in that there is a hole in the matt that goes right into the carpet. She must have ridden the clutch as it had always bitten high but never slipped.
So I booked the car in, it has 68K now so asked for the shocks to be done and asked them to inspect the clutch as I was sure that the bearing was making a noise but no one else seemed to ever hear it. They completed the shocks and asked me to pop down to look at the clutch the bearing was indeed very blue and plate was a bit too so they sourced oem replacements and just waited for it to be ready.
However this is when things when wrong on completing they went to start the car and it wouldn't, they called to say they think the chain had jumped. They stripped down the engine and again called me to come and look and it was beyond repair. I spent a few weeks trying to see what could be done and the garage helped me as much as they could and after weeks of stress and lots of time wasting scammers I did obtain a replacement low milage replacement and the garage completed this install. So I have my A3 back as really love this Audi, I've spent over 3k now and feel I just have to file this this to bad luck as not really anyone or anything to blame, just one of those things that can happen

 

[NHN]

So until it went in, it started fine but few issues to resolve, but then the chain jumped, call me a cynic.....

 

[millinb]

Yes, that is the long and short of it, perhaps I should add I know one of the mechanics. She is the daughter of friends of mine, the garage I've used for 20+ years as it is very close to my place of work and lots of staff at the University use them.

 

[NHN]

I have no view of them personally, just my pov is based on your post, it appears they've potentially caused this to happen, alas if you're happy with the situation then that's what's important, but friend or not, side eye & raised eyebrow imho

 

[millinb]

Honestly I understand your point, felt I should have added more detail as to why I trusted the garage rather then choose another cause of action. If I wasn't happy to hear your point of view I wouldn't have posted so thank you for the reply.

 

[Simon50s]

You're not alone. I think most, if not all of us have experienced 'bad luck' whether small or something very costly.

My previous 2006 A3 8P had done about 108,000km when the gearbox failed. My father-in-law had was the previous owner from new. I've never had a gearbox fail on any car I've owned in 40 years, so it came as a shock. A new gearbox was about around €3,000 from memory. I decided to get a second-hand one fitted for about €1,800 as I planned to keep the car. If I didn't get that done it was pretty much scrap.

However, the final straw was another pending bill for suspension damage after about 6 months. At that point I traded it in for a new 8Y. My only regret was that I should have done that one year earlier but hindsight is a wonderful thing, as they say. I've no problem owning an old car, but it can be an expensive pain if you can't do all the maintenance/fault fixing yourself and have to rely on garages.