Hiya.

Car went in for a full service recently.
Had started losing coolant a couple of days before, not much, but a definite small loss.
After pressure testing the coolant system the garage diagnosed a holed radiator, which was replaced.
With new front discs and pads, it came to just over £650.

About 1000 miles and 1 month later, the car dropped all it’s coolant.
Into the same garage yesterday and it’s a new hose (the one that connects to the head) and possibly a new thermostat housing.
Minimum of another £300 including labour, possibly more, depending on which thermostat housing they need.

They never call me back when they say they will.
The car is never ready when they say it will be, always an excuse.
They didn’t reattach the inner wheel arch after the service, then left a screwdriver on the scuttle when I took it back to have that fixed.

The garage is one of the most recommended locally, top of the Good Garage Guide, but I’m just getting the feeling I’m being kippered here.

Sorry for the rant, I’ve just had to cancel a break I really, really could have done with to pick up more shifts to pay for this and I’m not a happy sausage.

Does this sound reasonable?
I’ve just got a horrible feeling I’m being taken for a mug here.

Go back, give em’ a list of all the crap and tell em’ to fix it.

Hoses fail.
If you’re not happy with the service, why did you take it back?

Won’t sure where you are RS, but had a similar experience – does WSG ring a bell?

I’m in Lancashire, doesn’t ring a bell.

Garage are saying new issues unrelated to radiator replacement, hose has perished with age and nothing to do with them.

Surely this should have been noticed when the rad was changed and the system tested?

richmars – Member
Hoses fail.
If you’re not happy with the service, why did you take it back?

Because they had recently tested the coolant system and I assumed a quick fix.

Given user name, go and wee on their tools?

Tempted.
Very tempted.

Other garages are available.

Cheers for that Matt, really helpful, just what I needed at the mo.

hose has perished with age and nothing to do with them.

not in one month and if it was bad enough to fail that soon they should have spotted it or mentioned it.`

why do you require a new thermostat or housing ?
Prices seem high to me but decades since i was in the game but parts will be less than £75 and probably £50 to them and I cannot see more than 2 hours labour there either.

Finding a garage that you trust and charge reasonable rates is a nightmare

they dont seem like either to me from your description

Some stats are full housings and are a sod to do.

I’m not far away n was on the spanners n still in the trade. You want me to have a look n see if they’re being dicks

Cheers Duncan and Johnny.
I think we’re just going to have to bite the bullet on this one and then try and find somewhere else.

I’ll raise all these points with them on Monday and see what they come out with.
They’re quoting three hours labour plus parts and vat, but did say the thermostat requires removing a lot of other stuff, ECU etc.

I reckon they didn’t check it all properly last time, but sadly, I can’t prove it.

Shouldn’t there be a warranty of some sort after a fix especially a rather large fix? That is a lot of money to pay that only lasted about a month. 😯

Possible that they have folded the top hose out of the way to get the rad out , ad that has led to its demise. Get away with it on a newish hose, an old one may well crack.
Be very surprised if the ecu is blanking the thermostat , appalling bit of engineering design if it really is

Why did nt you do it yourself ? A few hours work and a good few pounds saved

Why did nt you do it yourself ? A few hours work and a good few pounds saved

Because it’s a job he can’t do, and so paid a professional to do it?

I’m sure there are things you pay to get done, which others could do themselves.

Either way, not the most helpful thing to tell the OP.

With new front discs and pads, it came to just over £650.

How much was just the radiator?

Disc and pads….yes you were probably stitched up

Will check the old service bill and confirm when I get home.

It did need discs and pads btw, the old ones were genuinely knackered.

Why did nt you do it yourself ? A few hours work and a good few pounds saved

It’s not exactly an easy job! I’m fine with most things but I think I’d leave this to a garage.

Seems very fishy that a hose fails so soon after the radiator was replaced. At the very least I’d expect them to check – and double check – that all the hoses haven’t perished. Preventative maintenance is what you expect good mechanics to provide.

And a thermostat housing? I’d be asking for exact reasons here.

I’d be pressing for a major discount to get this extra work completed – it sounds like they haven’t done a very good job first time round.

And then find yourself another garage – they don’t sound particularly proficient.

Hoses fail often with no obvious prior sign of pending doom often it’s a hose you can’t even see. Some thermostat housings are plastic and go brittle with age removing a stuck on old hose can easily crack or disintegrate the housing. Leaving trim off and tools in the engine bay of a car being handed back is just slap dash and I wouldn’t take my car back to them. A mate had his clutch done drove away 50 mtrs down the road smoke and rattling. Oil cap left off oil everywhere and a ratchet left on the scuttle. The clutch fired a bolt out through the gear box within a day.

Go to your local motorfactors if you have one and ask who they would recommend.

apologies
i shouldnt project my own ‘yeee haaa , its broken now so i cant make it any worse ‘ approach to life on others.
The garage should have done a better job, as that is what they are paid to do.

parts will be less than £75 and probably £50 to them

That depends on the car, shirley? For example, my thermostat was £89. A Mini so expected but not cheap even at trade and a time consuming pain to fit.

Hoses fail often with no obvious prior sign of pending doom often it’s a hose you can’t even see. Some thermostat housings are plastic and go brittle with age removing a stuck on old hose can easily crack or disintegrate the housing.

Yeah, definitely. The leak on my thermostat housing was so minute that it was missed by a pro mechanic. It took a long time to spot exactly where it was leaking – a seam on the moulding, probably a weak point when it all gets a bit old and brittle. Not a quick job, either. Quite a bit of stuff has to come off before you can get to the thing. Same with the hard plastic tube that joins the thermostat to the pump – that took the removal of the intake manifold as well as all the stuff you have to remove to get to the thermo before easily slotting the piece in place. Small cars can be very time consuming so would definitely crank up the labour costs.

Leaving trim off and tools in the engine bay of a car being handed back is just slap dash and I wouldn’t take my car back to them.

And again, I have to agree with that. Find someone that cares enough to at least assemble it as it arrived.

Makes you wonder if it needs a stat, or are they just making it ‘worth their while’ as it’s difficult to charge lots for rubber pipe.

If it’s not already done, I’d ask for the thermostat back so you can get it checked. Might make them reconsider changing it if it’s not really busted.

It probably dropped the coolant they either didn’t tighten the hose properly, or it split after being flexed when the new rad was fitted.

The garage is one of the most recommended locally, top of the Good Garage Guide,

There’s your problem.

What car?
Where abouts in Lancs are you?

Good garage guide, never heard of it, no doubt it’ll be full of made up customers.

It’s hard finding a garage that’s good, I’ve been to a fair few that have been recommended by pals, and had sub standard service.

Defo worth going back to them and asking some pointed questions RS.

1 person making a go of it on their own is the best bet for a mechanic.

Good garage guide, never heard of it

It’s not exactly an independent service, it’s run by an oils company, Forte, who push for engine flushes etc

As far as I know, it’s offered by their reps, the garage pays a fee to be registered, is supplied with various posters floors mats, overalls etc all emblazoned with Good Garage Scheme.

The garage then supposedly adheres to a voluntary code of conduct.

I would have more faith in it if it was run by an independent body, not a company who makes it money out of selling products to garages. Are they going to potentially lose a garages custom, who probably spends thousands per year with them, for a complaint from a member of the public ?

My front pads were done last week. Main kia stealer wanted 150e fitted, i asked my local man who did them and a pollen filter for 110e. Let me choose the pad brand didnt mean a thing to me but the prices per pair were from 50 to 100e. Miles better now.

Ok.

Didn’t get a phone call on Saturday lunchtime as promised.

Picked car up on Monday.
Work has been carried out, but:
Coolant tank under filled.
Battery terminal cover left on scuttle, along with a random plastic bag which I assume contained the thermostat.

Garage refuted any possibility that they may have made a mistake contributing to the secondary issues and refused any contribution.

And just for info the garage concerned is Marshall’s of Burnley.

I’d avoid them if possible.

It can be quite a test finding a garage you like and trust, then it only takes a bit of a change in staff for it all to go downhill, and you’re back to square one.

I hope you left an honest review on the Good Garage Guide?

Just phoned the manager again and reiterated the points I made on Monday.
Explained I have no confidence in the work they have carried out.
He’s promised me he will check the car over personally and provide me with a courtesy car whilst it’s taken care of.
The technician involved will get a written warning (yeah, right).
😐

Didn’t get a phone call on Saturday lunchtime as promised.

my mechanic is really good. But just like the LBS i’m not convinced the phoneline can do outgoing calls!

then it only takes a bit of a change in staff for it all to go downhill,

small enough that the owner has his hands on the tools helps.