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[gondolier88]

My suggestion-

1- Talk to the manager at the garage, not the workshop manager the garage manager- politely and succinctly describe your problem to him- and if you have recording equipment notify him you are recording the call, and make sure you do notify him!

If the problem is not resolved this way then;

2- go to Trading Standards agency, play them the recording and see what they say- if they say they are not doing anything illegal then as a last resort-

3- Go to your local newspaper (the one the garage advertises in) and notify them you have had a really bad experience there and you think as they advertise in the paper they should know what type of business is using them to promote themselves, then notify the garage that you have done so and see how quickly they get it done for nothing.

And a little tip- find an independant garage that has a good reputation and stick with them!!!

Greg

[meechingman]

I echo the sentiments about the main dealers completely. I used to have a company car and normally the servicing bills went straight to the office, I never even saw them. One time, the local Ford main agent left a copy in the car. When I checked it, they'd added 'minimum labour - 15 minutes' about ten times, for little items like tightening battery terminals, topping up washer fluid etc. I was not well pleased and went through every item on the bill - politely but firmly (and loudly) - in front of an increasingly disgruntled queue of service customers waiting to pick up their cars. (I bet a few of them checked their bills!) I got well over £100 off the bill. 

Last year my son bought his first car from a Renault main dealer - he worked for another division of the company so got a cracking deal. Unfortunately the cracking also applied to the cat converter, which was shot. Also faulty was the TDC sensor, and the car would regularly stall or refuse to start. At first they tried to fob him off saying that it was 'wear and tear' and not covered by his 'super cover used vehicle warranty'. After some more ploite but firm 'discussion' about Trading Standards, the dealer said that the work would be done FOC - he'd only had it a week. It went back to the main dealer twice, and each time it was collected, the exhaust would bang against the underside of the car. We enlisted the help of the local branch of the dealer - he knew the service manager - and the area manager. It was collected by the dealer, a courtesy car provided and the work done a third time. Within a week, it was banging again so I took it into my usual local independent exhaust centre, where I've been going for 30 years. They sorted it in ten minutes - part of the system was upside down! The main dealer must surely have known this - probably didn't even look properly.

I think that, regardless of make, the main dealers think they've 'got you' and use that to rip you off, or offer incompetent, shoddy work. I came up with an alternative solution. Married a girl whose best friend's husband owned a small garage and lives almost next door! They've 'dropped everything' to sort out my problems on more than one occasion and have had my custom for over 20 years now.

[malcolmfrary]

I have yet to experience a main agent offering competence, courtesy, or value for money.  The incidents, going back over almost 50 years, range from minor errors up to what was almost an attempt at manslaughter.  They do seem to be staffed by natures mistakes - to call them blacksmiths demeans a very skilled profession, but they do seem to believe that pushing/pulling/hitting harder is the universal answer.  Reading the job instructions / fault report also seems to be optional.  Someone nearly called the reception staff desk monkeys, however, monkeys have been seen recently using thought and logic to solve problems, so, again..........
Oddly, I have found the storesmen to be both helpful and useful.
I have a competently run garage local to me who have a good customer outlook, don't rip me off and have on several occasions gone out of their way to be helpful, even to the extent of recommending another garage/workshop where they thought it appropriate.

[Colin Bishop]

I actually do have a local main dealer which has given me perfectly good service over the last 8 years or so and doesn't charge OTT prices. I also have a local garage who I would not trust with my car.

I agree that you can get bad service from bigger organisations and are perhaps more likely to if they don't have to try so hard but it's not 100% the case. My dealer does seem keen to keep me as a continuing customer on the basis of taking the car in for servicing and maybe buying another one from them next time round. I'm not saying they are saints but I seem to be getting a reasonable deal from them and they have always done what they said they'd do when they said they'd do it.

Colin

[essex2visuvesi]

I wouldnt touch main dealers with a barge pole.

No offfence to any of you who work for them but in my experience most of the "Mechanics" at main dealers are just glorified fitters and have no idea what to do unless the computer tells them.
I have a slight expeience in basic mechanics (restored an rebuilt a few classic cars/bikes in my time) but would not call myself a mechanic.  I went to a main dealer with a problem with my car... I knew what the problem was, the idle control valve.  So went to the main dealer and said I wanted to fit them a new one.  the refused saying that they could not be certain that was the fault and needed to run a full diagnostic on the car (80 quid) before fitting any new parts, even tho it was clearly obvious the part was broken (it was hanging off).
Suffice to say i bought the part and did it myself (took 20mins)

Many years ago I worked for a local motorbike shop as a workshop junior (tea boy with a spanner) I was given the  job to change the exhaust on an old honda C90.  I was warned no to use too much force on the bolts holding the exhaust to the head as they have a tendancy to shear off.  Yes I used too much force and broke it.  The customer was informed, My boss drilled out and fixed the damaged stud with a helicoil.  I was docked an afternoons pay.

Any reputable garage would fix any damage caused by them at their own expense.

I also own a 2001 zafira albeit an opel not vauxhall and have done all of the service work myself.  Copies of the vauxhall service DVDs are available online from the usual ebay sellers so I do all the work myself.

Work completed so far
2x front wheel bearings
2x rear shocks
Repair AC Condenser (small hole in it)
cambelt and tensioner change.  I cannot for the life of me understand how they managed to cock it up, its not hard and can be done in under 2hours (Ignoring the opel service DVD instructions as they tell you to remove far mor stuff than is really neeeded)
Water pump changed with above
Full exhaust change with cat
brake caliper rebuild with new discs and pads

[Circlip]

I was warned no to use too much force on the bolts holding the exhaust to the head as they have a tendancy to shear off.  Yes I used too much force and broke it.  The customer was informed, My boss drilled out and fixed the damaged stud with a helicoil.

  Ring a bell Justboatonic?? Difference is that according to your report the threads are stripped out of the block so the job is half done.

   Regards  Ian.

[justboatonic]

1>  Ask Honest John - http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/

2>  Never take a car out of warranty to a main dealer, or any other franchised dealer, for that matter.

I did contact HJ. This is his reply "No. It's just the sort of thing that can happen when disassembling an
engine. No negligence involved."

I'd use another garage if I could but I just dont have any local recommendations.

[justboatonic]

 Ring a bell Justboatonic?? Difference is that according to your report the threads are stripped out of the block so the job is half done.

   Regards  Ian.

Yes it does. I strongly suspect this is what happened to the car.

The only problem I have is regarding time to get this sorted. The car is also due its annual MOT by the end of June and is on a cherished \ private plate. If the work \ who pays isnt sorted quickly I'll have to transfer the plate off the car (more expense) as I could lose it if the car hasnt got a current certificate when I do want to transfer!

BTW, the engine on a zaffie is transverse so depending on the location of the stripped thread on the front of the block, it may not be that easy to get to to drill out, even with a right angled drill.

[Nordsee]

As regards load bearing by helicoils, my son stripped the threads in the sparking plug of his 2CV, also Ally head. Our local Garage did the job, as I watched , took all of 10 minutes and cost us a fiver in the Coffee Fund, helicoils work, extremly well,I used them in the studholes on the Bell Houseing of my Racing 105E, and that was pretty stressed! so my advice is to get in touch with the Main dealer, with an Estimate from 2 other Workshops for the Helicoil Repair, and then threaten them with Top Gear or such, usually works...

[Circlip]

One major Tractor manufacturer that used to have a plant here in Bradford used "Heli-coils" to reclaim stripped threads in the Cast Iron castings in the event of a whoopsie on the assembly lines. To save any future problems in service, they changed the production to include fitting them at the START of manufacture rather than wait for it to happen.

   The "Spring" that you're screwing in is Stainless Steel so for repeated use like spark plugs and thread reclamation they are ideal.

 

It's just the sort of thing that can happen when disassembling an
engine. No negligence involved."

   Not if you've half a brain cell and as a "Trained monk  -- Mechanic" working on an alloy block, a 4 x 2 "Reminder" from the Chief Mechanic would be appropriate.

  Regards  Ian

[justboatonic]

Well pleased to report this has now been sorted.

Dealer Service Manager phoned to say the cost would be 600 quid to put right. I told him, sorry but I aint paying that. So he then went on to explain 'these things happen' etc etc. I said sorry, Im not having that. Told him they had a duty of care where Im buying a service from them, the problem happened on their watch and, I wanted my vehicle to be put back to the condition it was in when it came in for the service and work.

He tried to say it could have happened at another garage to which I responded sorry, it wasnt in another garage, it had been serviced from new by them including the last cam belt and tensioner change. Anyway, if it had of been another garage, I'd still expect them to put my car back into the original condition. We then 'discussed' the finer points of consumer law, my intention to contact Vauxhall HO and a solicitor.

He said he'd have to discuss with the MD and I told him, Im happy to discuss with the MD too!

Got a call about an hour later saying due to my customer 'loyalty,' they'd do the work FOC but in no way accepted responsibility for the stripped thread. Fine.

Got a call on Friday to say the car was ready, cost over a grand!!  WTF!! I went ballistic and said all this had been agreed I wouldnt be paying and the work was FOC. Turns out someone hadnt been kept in the loop.

They delivered the car to my home and even valetted it! That was nice of them.

Thanks to everyone for advice!

[gondolier88]

Good, should think so too!!!!

[RaaArtyGunner]

Good news and it pays to hold fast

[Shipmate60]

Well Done,
Does that mean a grand to spend on models?

Bob

[Nordsee]

Glad to hear all is sorted. One does wonder where the excessive charges come from though, 1,000 pounds to repair a stripped bolt hole and fit a Cam Belt? And they say that modern engines are so much better than those from years ago. I do wonder though!! In 1968 I had a Mk 1 , 1500 Cortina GT. Iron block, pushrod engine, not Cross Flow, those did not appear until 1970. Fords version of the Weber 28/36 Twin Choke Carby. It was rated at 86 BHP.The car weighed a ton, did 0 to 60 in  12 seconds and used sensibly, 40 mpg Top speed 105 mph. My friends car, 2008 model has a 1400 cc all Alloy engine, DOHC, Fuel Injection, all singing and dancing. It also produces 94 BHP, has a top speed of 114, 0to60 in 11 seconds and about 43 mpg. Not a lot of progress really is there? Also the Ford engine could be repaired and kept in tune by almost anyone, without the use of a PC.

[Circlip]

Oh dear, that's one service manager that won't be going to Cancun for HIS Summer holidays. Well done JAB for sharpening your heels. REALLY glad to have helped.

  Regards  Ian.

 EDIT, It might be pertinant to ask HOW the stripped thread was fixed, hate them to have glued the screw back in with a plastic metal type compound for them to get ANOTHER stab in another 20k's time.

[essex2visuvesi]

Glad to hear all is sorted. One does wonder where the excessive charges come from though, 1,000 pounds to repair a stripped bolt hole and fit a Cam Belt? And they say that modern engines are so much better than those from years ago. I do wonder though!! In 1968 I had a Mk 1 , 1500 Cortina GT. Iron block, pushrod engine, not Cross Flow, those did not appear until 1970. Fords version of the Weber 28/36 Twin Choke Carby. It was rated at 86 BHP.The car weighed a ton, did 0 to 60 in  12 seconds and used sensibly, 40 mpg Top speed 105 mph. My friends car, 2008 model has a 1400 cc all Alloy engine, DOHC, Fuel Injection, all singing and dancing. It also produces 94 BHP, has a top speed of 114, 0to60 in 11 seconds and about 43 mpg. Not a lot of progress really is there? Also the Ford engine could be repaired and kept in tune by almost anyone, without the use of a PC.

Ah the old for Pre X Flow
Ive just done a full top end rebuild on a 1200 Anglia, nice easy job, no special dealer tools just a few stubborn bolts

I never really looked at it the way you did but after a quick bit of the old google its actually quite common not much for progress Id say

[Perkasaman2]

I think some young 'mechanic' or trainee used an  air wrench incorrectly in the strip down or build up.   An expensive boo boo, thankfully not at jbt's expense.     Well done that man! 

[essex2visuvesi]

Air wrencehes are the devils own work, so easy to shear bolts and strip threads with them.  I only use mine as a last resort or to remove wheel bolts, hub bolts etc and only on the lowest setting first and slowly working up.

[Circlip]

Air wrencehes are the devils own work, so easy to shear bolts and strip threads with them.  

  Even spanners in

some

hands.

 A mate came into the office one morning clutching the alloy intake manifold from his Stag. Pointing to the hole that the airfiter housing clamping stud had originally been screwed into, he came out with one of his classics "Can you do anything with this hole, it's slightly stripped?"

  Yea, all the way down.

  Regards  Ian.

  TGFHI