Time to name and shame...!!

[Robsey]

Here is a tale of woe and warning - of the challenges that I have faced with a very well known garage in my local area.

There are about 4 or 5 chapters to this sorry tale.
Grab a fag and a brew - it is a long tale...

1 - 
29th December 2015 - I took the wife's Vectra-C in for a replacement alternator.
I picked up the car that was just being finished off when I arrived 10 minutes before closing time.
(Read that as the time they told me to collect the car).
Paid cash for the work and set off home 
I noticed a lot of banging and thumping noises when accelerating away.
Note that due to being in my late forties, I have grown out of all that boy racer stuff.
So only driving steadily...
Took the car back the next morning.. the mechanic knew straight away what he had or had not done.
10 minutes later all is good with the world again.

2-
31st March 2016 (Thursday) - I took the Vectra in for it's MOT.
All was going well until the tester reported a burst brake pipe.
I was left without a car - bugger!! Not safe to drive he said... can't get it fixed before Wednesday 6th April - what!!??
Needs work on suspension and steering as well as the brake pipes.

I have to hire a car at short notice for a week... not at all cheap.

Next day I get a call saying collect the car - you guessed it about 1/2 hour before closing.
Car is still up on the ramps, wheels still off when I arrive.
"Won't be long, just bleeding the brakes".
Then I get the message -
It's burst another pipe, you'll have to come back tomorrow.

So next day (Saturday).
I am told to collect the car.
Virtually same again 1:30pm - garage is due to close.
Wheels are still off and they are bleeding the brakes.
It had burst 3 pipes altogether.

Finally at 2:00pm the car is finished and a fresh MOT is issued.
Take the car 100 yards up the road and it is pulling and twitching all over.

The garage resets the tracking.
Car now appears okay again.

Hmm what's this? - Someone is missing a locking wheel socket because the garage has put it in my car.
But I already have one. - Identical pattern.
Garage has never asked me if I have the socket.

3- 
The first week of May-  I am due to go on a round trip holiday to Devon, so think it would be good to get some good fresh tyres fitted.
The front tyres were worn to the chords on the outer edges, despite being road legal four weeks earlier.
The tyre fitters offer to do a free tracking check.
"It was only done a month ago" - I chirp.
It's free, so won't harm is their response.

Next thing - "You'd best look at this" - They cannot adjust the tracking which is a mile out..
The MOT garage had fitted a new off side steering arm, but had not secured it to the rack.
So the tyre fitters, which also has a service / MOT bay re-secured the steering arm and sorts the tracking.

4 - 
A couple of weeks ago, I note that the engine is getting quite hot, so pop the bonnet to find that the MOT garage has left a Snap-On ratchet and extension complete with an external spline socket wedged between the engine block and my radiator. 
Nice free gift - but what on earth??

Whilst the bonnet is up I also notice evidence of messing or sloppy workmanship.
The MOT garage had removed both strut top cover caps - and not refitted them.
Why both? - They only replaced the off side front damper.

5 - 
So today - I had managed to book the car in to my preferred garage.
I had to make the booking three weeks ago.
I spoke to Dave this morning and asked him to replace the front discs and pads, carry out a full service and do an MOT on the car.
I had become less confident of the car, so asked him to give the car a thorough check over.
I gave him a copy of the fail sheet for guidance.

I rang David tonight, who asked if I had " fixed the brake pipes"... "Nope- the MOT garage had done it".
A groan of disappointment comes back.
"Where are you Rob, can you come and see me"?
So a 2 mile / 35 minute walk later I am stood under the Vectra.

The brake pipe is weeping at the unions of all three repairs that they had made to one pipe.
Despite this there was still three further patches of deep corrosion on the same pipe.
The 'next to the back' box hanger had rotted through - and clearly not recently.
The brake pipe was loose and weaving along the underside of the car
And the abs sensor connector mounting was missing.

So I had
 A very insecure brake pipe with deep corrosion.
An insecure exhaust silencer
An insecure electrical sensor connector.

Despite the MOT certificate being issued on the 2nd April, the car would not have passed it's MOT today.

So now to the topic title.
To name and shame the garage.

Magnum Motors in Dukinfield, North East Cheshire.

They appear to lose parts, and rush around blindly making silly school boy errors.
Some of which could be dangerous.

My brake pipes that I was convinced had all been fixed were in a state where they could have burst again at any time.
Bear in mind that I have just done a 700 mile round trip on the motorway with a fully laden car carrying a 12 stone electric wheelchair, my wife and her mum on board.

I have vowed to avoid this garage and to tell all my friends and relatives to do likewise.

[colin1]

Your self control is admirable

[btcctroy]

clown garages.
ive done hundreds of brake pipes and never had a leak.
I find it amazing.
probably worth a complaint to VOSA about the mot that the garage carried out. although It will mean paying for another mot

[Robsey]

I had thought about complaining to VOSA as they had clearly cherry picked some jobs and left others.

I was aware of play in some of the ball joints and steering arm before the MOT, but the leaking strut was a new one on me.

And the exhaust hanger that was rotted through was right next to the three piece-meal pipe repairs.
Why did they not list that ?
- maybe as they did not fit exhausts on site and so not income for them.

Self Control - I am not a stress head.
If I feel that I have been taken for a fool, I believe Karma will put things right.
It has done so far.

Gary (Envoy CDX) and Troy will tell you, that I am usually quite laid back...
Although I am a grumbly old bugger these days - ha ha.

[ilovedmymantas]

Personally, I would complain to VOSA - sometimes karma needs a kick-start !
When I think of all the people they could exploit in the meantime - my elderly dad included - I think my idea of karma would be to save as many people from danger as possible
Tbh I try not to be a stress head but sometimes my sense of justice overwhelms that

[Robsey]

Just for info, the VOSA has now been replaced by -

DVSA 
The Ellipse 
Padley Road 
Swansea 
SA1 8AN 

The contact email is still
Enquiries@vosa.gov.uk

And the phone numbers are unchanged.

DVSA is the driver and vehicle standards agency.

[Envoy CDX]

Jesus!!
Rob, get that reported - next person might not be so lucky.

[Robsey]

Just got the Vectra back from my preferred garage.

All work completed and looking good.

He was keen for me to inspect the new complete pipe that he had fitted from the rear nearside wheel arch all the way across the front of the fuel tank and along the length of the floor of the car to the front.
All nice and neat and clipped securely in place.

Call it psychological, but the whole car feels better, drives smoother and quieter and no noises that shouldn't be there.

Of course some of this improvement will be attributed to having new front discs and pads and a major service.

My wallet is a few quid lighter, but that does not compare to how much more relaxed I feel about driving the car.

(Hopefully I have not just cursed myself / the car).