We have a bit of an issue with a Garage and don’t know the way forward.

Day 1 : The vehicle drained the battery.
Day 2 : Our local independent garage changed the battery
Day 3 : The vehicle drained the battery again and lost all instrumentation such as indicators and speed display. So the independent garage suggested it might be the ECU which they couldn’t check as they didn’t have the correct equipment.
Day 4 : Took the vehicle to the major car garage to get them to look at it.
Day 5 : They said they would change the battery to check if that was it and surprise surprise that wasn’t the issue.
Day 6 : The major garage found some frayed cables and fixed them and ran a diagnostics and couldn’t find any faults.
3 Weeks later : We had no contact with the garage and when we phoned them they said they were waiting on us to give them permission to run a second diagnostics. Within that week they got back to us and said the ECU was at fault and it would take 2 weeks to get in.
2 Weeks later : After a lot of poor communication the new ECU hasn’t cleared all the faults and they would try an body control management system. They fitted this and the issues were solved.

After 7 weeks of not having a vehicle and having to put one car we had for sale on the road we finally collect the vehicle. Due to the new body control unit the keys have to be programmed to the new unit and surprise surprise the spare doesn’t seem to work.

We are now left with a hefty bill of £1400 and have to go back to get the new key programmed.

Also when the bill was paid we asked about the 2 control modules that were taken out and they said it was company policy to throw away them and we should of said that they were to be kept. These modules could be refurbished and sold to soften the bill at least.

We as a family are unsure on how to pursue this matter, anyone got any suggestions?

Sorry for the lengthy read.

They should not have thrown the parts away – they belong to you.

The rest? Was it a BMW garage?

Skoda garage

Shirley you got a quote for the work or the very least an estimate?

Our main dealer has the same policy re removed items – covering tracks maybe but I don’t think uncommon.

Just request they keep the bits next time.

Are you dubious as to the authenticity that the said work has been carried out as they say?

The issues we have with the garage:
1. The time it’s taken to solve these issues.
2. The poor contact and they wouldn’t answer the phone to Skoda UK
3. The parts we own have been binned
4. No apology from them regarding the time.

Had a similar issue with a main dealer. Do lots of google searches and you will probably find there is a common fault with your car. Look at briskoda.I approached Skoda UK direct and quoted sales of goods act etc and got approx £1200 worth of work for about £80.
Dont roll over and good luck ! ps what car was it? Superb?

Skoda roomster

ketmetalk – It was very hard to get a response from them let alone a quote. When they suggested changing the battery it sounds like a suggestion from someone with no knowledge would do.

Dunno where I got the BMW bit from

I’d be kicking it upstairs. they have changed two expensive computer modules when only one caused the fault – do I get that right? So IMO you shouldn’t be paying for the ECU change if that wasn’t causing the problems unless there were faults in both

Get onto skoda UK yourself and make a formal complaint if you think they have done wrong. I’d also consider getting another garage to check what they have done.

I’d be very suspicious if they haven’t got your old parts to give to you.

Tjagain- The first ECU apparently cleared some of the faults and then second one cleared all the faults

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm so apparently two different electronic modules developed faults at the same time?

I think it all seems a bit dodgy to me but how can we prove anything?

Poor diagnosis on their part ref the ECU issue, they should have thoroughly checked everything prior to fitting the ECU, if this then turned out to be wrong then it’s their call to get it right, they cannot just swap and change at your expense in the hope they get it right.

Ultimately it sounds like the BCM was the issue and that is what you should be paying for, not te ECU, there is the charge for their time to be taken into consideration though.

Is the garage owned privately or a group, and who have you actually spoken to (at the garage)?

If it helps I am an Aftersales Manager at a Land Rover Dealer, feel free to email (in profile) if you want to discuss offline.

Cheers,

Andy.

A similar thing happened to us this summer (local garage did a load of unnecessary work to trace a fault and held on to the car for a fortnight when it turned out that they’d fitted a faulty fuel pump). Same excuse (ECU issue, must go to main dealership).

A strongly worded solicitor’s letter halved our bill.

andydicko – The garage in question is Bristol street motors skoda in chesterfield.

We are going today to get the key programmed and speak with the manager.

oompf I hate dealing with garages for just this sort of reasons. The not calling you is a biggest bug bear I’ve had with all garages! Even for little jobs you’ll ask please call me when it’s done as I need the car, they NEVER call you. The amount I’ve spent on repairs over the last several years is ridiculous and not having to deal with garages is the reason I’ve now gone lease, maybe costs a little more but no headaches and having to deal with the car off the road for any time. Get shot of that car and get a lease deal asap.

The first ECU apparently cleared some of the faults and then second one cleared all the faults

Well, they would say that, wouldn’t they.

It maybe more truthful to say that the first did nothing, the second fixed it but they know you wouldn’t pay for them both without a tale.

A more logical step would be to change the first ECU back, then change the second and see what effect it had.

Very poor.

Decent garages show you the parts they’ve changed. Our local citroën main dealer does this as standard (family owned so no “company policy” bobbins). Admittedly not oil or fuel filters, but certainly pads, discs, cambelt etc.

VAG cars have two ecus, the engine management one and then the unit that covers all the canbus functions for lights etc, the canbus one is the reason your keys need reprogramming, but it’s possible that either got spiked when changing the battery.