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Car serviced incorrectly

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  • 25-03-2013 5:55pm
    #1
    pedro7
    Registered Users Posts: 132 ✭✭


    Hi all,

    A family member had their car serviced approx 1 year ago with the local main branded dealer. The same brand as the car.

    When the car was serviced they informed her that the car needed new brake hoses as the old ones were perished. This was done but when she got the car home I tested it and there was almost no braking force. There was air in the brakes. Brought the car back and they sorted it.

    Later when checking the oil and fluids about 6 months ago I noticed the cap from the brake fluid reservoir was missing. I found it in the engine bay it had obviously been left off when they bled out the air. I replaced it and tested the fluid for moisture. All was ok.

    This brings me to this weekend. The car had its nct which it failed due on brake hoses. Apparently the hose fitted is air line hose not brake/hydraulic hose.

    I believe this is quite dangerous as hydraulic oil (brake fluid) will degrade the rubber used in airlines.

    What is my best course of action with this? We've had the car serviced by this dealer for 12 years and we bought the car from them too. Is this a common problem?
    Just wondering what are my rights here? I don't want to go in accusing them of not doing there job right and not know how the law lies on this type of thing. The repair to the car initially cost €250!

    Thanks folks.


Comments

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    #2
    flutered
    Registered Users Posts: 6,668 ✭✭✭flutered


    after twelve months you are on your own, one month you would have probs with the garage over this.


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    #3
    pedro7
    Registered Users Posts: 132 ✭✭pedro7


    Even though they fitted the wrong grade of hose?


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    #4
    Bogger77
    Registered Users Posts: 1,857 ✭✭✭Bogger77


    pedro7 wrote: »
    Even though they fitted the wrong grade of hose?
    can you prove that they fitted the incorrect type?
    they can say that in the last 12 months, it's possible that you had them replaced since they did the work.


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    #5
    pedro7
    Registered Users Posts: 132 ✭✭pedro7


    I see what you mean.
    Would the fact that they are the only garage to ever service the car have any bearing on it? Also that the let the car out the last time with essentially no brakes.


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    #6
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,327 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    Bogger77 wrote: »
    can you prove that they fitted the incorrect type?
    they can say that in the last 12 months, it's possible that you had them replaced since they did the work.

    If the OP took them to court it would be a civil, not a criminal case so that defence wouldn't wash, the judge would take his (the OP's) word for it.

    All the OP need say is that nobody has gone under the bonnet since the last service, that means that the main dealer is answerable for the brake line problems.

    OP, leave the legal stuff to one side for a moment. I'd go back to the garage and ask to speak to the service manager, hand him/her a letter outlining the problems, point out that you have been a loyal customer, are disappointed with this substandard service and ask him what he proposes to do about it.

    If you get no satisfaction, your second option is to write to the service manager in the distributor (the Irish importer for that brand), outline the issues and see what they say.

    The fact that you have been a loyal customer for so long means they most likely will sort you out. You car may have been given to some incompetent and unsupervised apprentice on the day, the faults certainly should have been spotted by an experienced person but maybe they were busy on the day and it slipped through the system.

    You need to exploit your loyalty to the garage and the brand before considering an expensive and drawn-out legal process. If you get a solicitor involved, the shutters will come down and they will only deal with you via their own solicitor, only do this as a last resort.


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    #7
    pedro7
    Registered Users Posts: 132 ✭✭pedro7


    coylemj wrote: »
    If the OP took them to court it would be a civil, not a criminal case so that defence wouldn't wash, the judge would take his (the OP's) word for it.

    All the OP need say is that nobody has gone under the bonnet since the last service, that means that the main dealer is answerable for the brake line problems.

    OP, leave the legal stuff to one side for a moment. I'd go back to the garage and ask to speak to the service manager, hand him/her a letter outlining the problems, point out that you have been a loyal customer, are disappointed with this substandard service and ask him what he proposes to do about it.

    If you get no satisfaction, your second option is to write to the service manager in the distributor (the Irish importer for that brand), outline the issues and see what they say.

    The fact that you have been a loyal customer for so long means they most likely will sort you out. You car may have been given to some incompetent and unsupervised apprentice on the day, the faults certainly should have been spotted by an experienced person but maybe they were busy on the day and it slipped through the system.

    You need to exploit your loyalty to the garage and the brand before considering an expensive and drawn-out legal process. If you get a solicitor involved, the shutters will come down and they will only deal with you via their own solicitor, only do this as a last resort.


    Thanks for that. I was just looking for some other perspectives so I can be prepared just in case. They're normally excellent, so I imagine they'll play ball here too.

    Thanks all.


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    #8
    emeldc
    Registered Users Posts: 2,593 ✭✭✭emeldc


    This was a main dealer, right? I find it impossible to believe that it would be cheaper or easier to fit air hoses instead of brake hoses even if it was in a backstreet garage. The NCT have been known to talk a lot of rubbish at times.


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    #9
    pedro7
    Registered Users Posts: 132 ✭✭pedro7


    I haven't seen them yet myself. But I will this weekend. I'll report back.
    I hadn't considered that. Is there anything can be done if the nct guy is in fact just trying to get a retest?


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    #10
    coylemj
    Registered Users Posts: 25,327 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    pedro7 wrote: »
    I haven't seen them yet myself. But I will this weekend. I'll report back.
    I hadn't considered that. Is there anything can be done if the nct guy is in fact just trying to get a retest?

    The NCT guy isn't on commission, he's just an employee of Applus and anyway the visual retest is free so for them it's more work for nothing i.e. they have no incentive to screw you around.

    I repeat what I said earlier, the wrong hose was probably fitted by an unsupervised apprentice, it's extremely unlikely to the point of unthinkable that it was done to save money because it's potentially a safety hazard which could have led to a tragedy which could have been traced back to that service.


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    #11
    slimjimmc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,787 ✭✭✭slimjimmc


    emeldc wrote: »
    This was a main dealer, right? I find it impossible to believe that it would be cheaper or easier to fit air hoses instead of brake hoses even if it was in a backstreet garage. The NCT have been known to talk a lot of rubbish at times.

    Exactly!

    Brake hoses come ready-made with threaded metal fittings crimped to each end. AFAIK you can't buy air-line hoses made up like that (surely HGV hoses would use a different bore and thread). To make a hose from an air-line, they'd have to acquire, fit and crimp the fittings and I can't see anyone going to that trouble even if they had the necessary tools (which is unlikely).

    Also, imo, an air-line hose wouldn't resist the pressures involved in braking and would bulge or even bust very quickly.

    OP, I reckon someone has been spinning you a yarn or you have misunderstood the reason for failure. Does the NCT report state air hose as the cause of failure?


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    #12
    pedro7
    Registered Users Posts: 132 ✭✭pedro7


    I would imagine so. There's no wire in air hoses. And like you guys said brake hoses are a pug and play part no cutting and crimping. I'll be back home at the weekend I'll check and report back. Lots of interesting points here, thanks folks.


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    #13
    emeldc
    Registered Users Posts: 2,593 ✭✭✭emeldc


    coylemj wrote: »
    The NCT guy isn't on commission, he's just an employee of Applus and anyway the visual retest is free so for them it's more work for nothing i.e. they have no incentive to screw you around.

    It's not a visual retest. If you have to replace brake hoses, then the brakes have to be retested and so take up a test lane.


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