NCT problem with garage

Plascebo

Due my NCT last month and the car (98 lancer) failed due to structural rust. Guy at the NCT said I would need a plate welded over the rust spot (underneath rear pax side). So duly went to a garage in Coolock Ind. Est. (can't remember the name of them) showed him the failed NCT report and he quoted a pride of €60 an hour for labour to weld a plate over the affected area. In the end it cost €150.

Went back for the retest yesterday morning, they brought me out to the car when it was up on the ramp, and to quote the guy there, the weld job was s**t, wasn't welded (sealed) properly and not all the affected area was covered.

My query is this, I didn't get a receipt from the garage but should he fix the problem free of charge (don't want to chance my arm and ask for the €28 I've got to pay again for retest)?
Would like to give him a ring first to test the water but for the life of me can't find the garage via google and can't remember the name of it...

kildare.17hmr

straight back to the garage, he didnt do the job he was ment to do and charged you for it. chances are he will be ok about it. id just call back in and have a chat, dont go in all guns blazing, yet.

Plascebo

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

straight back to the garage, he didnt do the job he was ment to do and charged you for it. chances are he will be ok about it. id just call back in and have a chat, dont go in all guns blazing, yet.

Thanks for the advice kildare.17hmr. Can't find his number anywhere (wouldn't mind, its a fairly bigish garage in the Ind. Est.) as would prefer to give him a ring first, so just going to take a few hours off work today and head down, see how the land lies. Absolutely no chance of me going in guns blazing, just hope he doesn't fob me off as I didn't ask for a receipt for the work at the time.

kildare.17hmr

cant see it being a problem if its a reputible garage! let us know how ya get on

Wibbs

I dunno if this was done, but rather than just plate over the rust, he should remove the rust back to bare metal, treat the sound steel, then offer up the new plate. Then treat and seal that. Otherwise it's just gonna keep eating away underneath. Quadruple that if not sealed and for a structural repair? Fine if you're unlikely to be keeping the car, but otherwise..... Still he didnt go mad with the price in fairness.

Plascebo

Wibbs wrote: »

I dunno if this was done, but rather than just plate over the rust, he should remove the rust back to bare metal, treat the sound steel, then offer up the new plate. Then treat and seal that. Otherwise it's just gonna keep eating away underneath. Quadruple that if not sealed and for a structural repair? Fine if you're unlikely to be keeping the car, but otherwise..... Still he didnt go mad with the price in fairness.

The new plate wasn't sealed properly, just spot welded in places and didn't cover all the rust. Was that a good price Wibbs, thought it a bit excessive (especially when the guys at the NCT place showed me the work).

As for it being a reputable garage, not to sure, its not a main-stream garage, i.e. ford/renault etc, seemed more like a crash repair place tbh, that's why I'm a bit apprehensive of how I will be received.

kildare.17hmr

the price you paid would be the average price for that sort of job if it wasnt a huge rust patch. im guessin if its a bodyshop it was left to an apprentice and not checked after he finished, thats easy work for any pannel beater

Wibbs

Plascebo wrote: »

The new plate wasn't sealed properly, just spot welded in places and didn't cover all the rust. Was that a good price Wibbs, thought it a bit excessive (especially when the guys at the NCT place showed me the work).

Sorry Plascebo, I wasn't clear. I meant it wouldn't be excessive if he had done the job right. With rust you cut it all out, at worst remove as much as possible and treat the rest. Think of it as car cancer. You leave any and it will keep on munching away. It often starts on welds too. A non sealed/treated steel plate over rust, is about as useful as a chocolate teapot. May even accelerate the problem. Especially now we're heading into winter and councils seem to be adding more salt than grit.

As for it being a reputable garage, not to sure, its not a main-stream garage, i.e. ford/renault etc, seemed more like a crash repair place tbh, that's why I'm a bit apprehensive of how I will be received.

TBH I wouldnt exactly rate a crash repair place that just plated over structural rust. I'd be pissed off if rust was covered over with isopon on an outside panel, I'd be pretty angry if a structural part was treated in a similar manner.