Please advise if you can

mystika121

Hi, my car failed the NCT last week as there was corrosion on a pipe. I left the car with the garage to have the pipe replaced. They said that the cylinder 'fell apart' when opened and to fix 'everything' it will cost €1000. The car is worth far less than this.

I asked how this could not have been found during the NCT and the garage said that the NCT Centre must have missed it.

I am a 'lady driver' and don't have much experience with cars. Any advice would be appreciated.

johnos1984

I assume brake pipes?

Plug

Did you go to a main dealer?

-Corkie-

Garage are trying to cream you allright.

mystika121

Thank you - yes it is the brake pipe. The NCT paperwork is in the garage so I don't have the exact wording.

johnos1984

-Corkie- wrote: »

Garage are trying to cream you allright.

It would seem that way. Why not call in unannounced to inspect what has gone wrong. Your well within your rights to do so but it sounds like they have just fecked about with the car.

Do they sell cars? Is it a main dealer?

CiniO

What cylinder fell apart?

Was it the brake cylinder?
If yes 1000 euros seems to be incredible high price.

mystika121

Yes - it is a main dealer.

mystika121

It would seem that way. Why not call in unannounced to inspect what has gone wrong. Your well within your rights to do so but it sounds like they have just fecked about with the car.

Do they sell cars? Is it a main dealer?



Thanks for your reply. If I called in I wouldn't know what to look for. If they had the parts out I wouldn't know much about them.

andyseadog

I do recall in work (back when i had 'work') there was an early 90's BMW 323 estate, which had failed the N.C.T. on corroded brake lines.

the long and the short of it is that we had bough in copper brake line, and (obviously) had to bend and shape it as necessary to suit the car. the piping and connections we're cheap enough, circa 30 euro. but there was nearly a day and a half labour involved, which is roughly 10 hours, at say 80 quid an hour ('cheap' in main dealer labour terms) then add on a new (again asuming) master cylinder you could easily be creeping up on 1000 euro.

what make/ model of car is it? and is it at a main dealer specialising in the same brand as the car?

johnos1984

mystika121 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. If I called in I wouldn't know what to look for. If they had the parts out I wouldn't know much about them.

It gives you an opportunity to question them but as you say it may not be time well spent if you cannot question them on what they have done and why.

It seems to me they are taking you for a mug and are trying to overcharge you or get you in a new car

Plug

Cylinders are about 35 quid each from a main dealer. I don't know why they said €1000. What kind of car is it? year etc? It must be more than just cylinders and pipes???

mystika121

It is a Ford Fiesta Zetec 1996

mystika121

Sorry - yes they do specialise in the same cars

andyseadog

mystika121 wrote: »

It is a Ford Fiesta Zetec 1996

and is it in a ford main dealership?

edit : based on that fact alone. it tell the dealer to stop work where ever they are, fix up with them. then get the car weighed in for scrap and spend your thousand euro on a new car.

mystika121

Yes it is a main dealer. I thought it would be best to go to them.

Plug

mystika121 wrote: »

It is a Ford Fiesta Zetec 1996

You brought a 1996 fiesta to a main dealer?:eek: Sorry lady but the car is 15 years old!
Im fairly sure the tank has to be dropped to do this job and maybe you also need flexi brake pipes too but €1000. Im just speechless, can you get an quote with all the parts you need?

mystika121

I have the car six months and I would be afraid that if I scrap it and buy amother for less than €1000 that I would just end up in the same situation.

I just find it hard to believe that the NCT didn't pick it up and also it seems that as soon as the garage touched it it literally 'fell apart'.

I thought I was doing the right thing by going to a main dealership.

andyseadog

mystika121 wrote: »

Yes it is a main dealer. I thought it would be best to go to them.

not in the case of such an old car really.

i'm not being a snob, but the car isint particularly nice, rare or desirable, unless it has sentimental value of some sort, get the dealer to stop work now, asuming they aren't in too deep.

get your car scrapped, get about 100 quid for it. spend the thousand euro on something from donedeal with 2 years test on it, another similar fiesta perhaps.

mystika121

Thanks for the replies. Do you think it would have been a different outcome if I had have gone to a 'backstreet' garage?

mystika121

I will ask for a proper quote tomorrow. I was just shocked at the about €1000 price.

andyseadog

mystika121 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. Do you think it would have been a different outcome if I had have gone to a 'backstreet' garage?

yeah, much cheaper. and the quality of work would probably have been similar.

if they havn't started work on your car, don't let them!

biko

Have they done the work yet?
If not you can bring car to someone else. Some places will pick it up on a trailer for you.
Anywhere independent should be cheaper, incl recovery from dealer.

mystika121

They don't have the parts in stock but I did tell them to go ahead. I was in total shock at the time.

Can I stop them and ask for a proper itemised quote or is it too late? Also if the car parts have 'fallen apart' what can I do?

mystika121

Thanks Biko - I just saw your post. I don't know where to go with it so that the same thing doesn't happen. If I ask an independant to move it will they just know that you are out of options and be able to charge accordingly?

andyseadog

mystika121 wrote: »

They don't have the parts in stock but I did tell them to go ahead. I was in total shock at the time.

Can I stop them and ask for a proper itemised quote or is it too late? Also if the car parts have 'fallen apart' what can I do?

if the parts weren't in stock, but they have ordered them, they will probably stick you with a 10-30% cancellation fee to cover courier costs etc, thats if they bought directly from ford and not a motor factors which is debatable.

you can ask them for a full pricing breakdown at anytime, and if they are working legitimately they wont mind.

if the car is no longer drivable, as was said, most independent garages will be more than happy to collect it from the dealership on a recovery truck, and still repair it for much less.

mystika121

Thanks for all the replies. I just feel very aggrieved as I drove the car in but now it seems like I won't be it driving out.

mystika121

If I do get this fixed, will the NCT centre check all the new work done or just the original corroded pipe?

I just fear that I will end up spending more money if the NCT centre are not happy with the extra work done.

biko

They will check what it failed on before. However if they spot something new that is wrong they can fail you on that (not very likely).

Nissan doctor

Tell them not to touch the car any further would be my advise. Corrosion of the metal brake pipes on the rear of fiestas is common and a very simple and fairly cheap fix as there is a join in the pipe just beside the fuel tank so nothing has to be moved.

The front or rear flexi pipes are also a simple fix and so are rear brake cylinders. Even all of the above together wouldn't come to anywhere near €1k.

If, for some strange reason, the master cylinder failed it still, combined with all the above parts, wouldn't cost €1k although I've no idea what Ford charge for a genuine one but a spurious one would be circa €200 max I'd say and as they wouldn't be a common failure on a fiesta then a second hand one might be an even cheaper option.


If they have not informed you of any deposit charge for ordering parts before you gave the go ahead then you are not obliged to pay any.

My advice would be that if the only thing the car failed on was a brake pipe then its worth keeping if you hadn't planned on changing it.

mystika121

Thank you Nissan doctor. I do want to keep the car. I will phone the garage this morning.

mystika121

Thanks to all for the advice.

I visited the garage on the way home and they had extra jobs that will need doing on the quote. I asked them to just do the main job that the car went in for and leave the rest for now. This will bring the cost down to approximately €650. I should have it on Friday.

andyseadog

so they just decided to do a few odd jobs you didn't ask for? :rolleyes:

i still would have taken the car back, specially after hearing that.

650 still sounds terrifically expensive, but if your happy, then... thats it

Plug

andyseadog wrote: »

so they just decided to do a few odd jobs you didn't ask for? :rolleyes:

i still would have taken the car back, specially after hearing that.

650 still sounds terrifically expensive, but if your happy, then... thats it

Genuine cylinders are about €35-40 quid a piece and maybe one of them leaked onto the shoe's contaminating them. Usually its good practice to replace both of the cylinders and who knows the shoes could be fcuked. Also take into account the amount of time it takes to make them pipes, im fairly sure the tank has to be dropped down to get these out.

I'd say all them extra jobs are down to them stupid vehicle health checks, the electronic ones, we have them and they are a real pain. Even the service manager and assistant hate the things. Too much work and the customer thinks your pulling a quick one.


Anyway mystika121 please will you put up the bill with a break down of the parts and labour when you get it. This could be interesting.

David09

Plug wrote: »

Genuine cylinders are about €35-40 quid a piece and maybe one of them leaked onto the shoe's contaminating them. Usually its good practice to replace both of the cylinders and who knows the shoes could be fcuked. Also take into account the amount of time it takes to make them pipes, im fairly sure the tank has to be dropped down to get these out.



Anyway mystika121 please will you put up the bill with a break down of the parts and labour when you get it. This could be interesting.

I've replaced the piping on a few fiestas before and the tank doesn't have to be dropped for either of the rear brake pipes to be replaced. As has been previously mentioned there is a joining just in front of the tank. The brake pipe runs around the edge of the tank.

€650 is utter madness (in my opinion) for any of these jobs.

Find yourself a good independent garage and you will get the job done for a fraction of the cost and to the same standard as the dealer.

mystika121

Thanks. I will put up the details when I get it back. It would have cost a lot to get it towed to another garage.

I just don't understand how these other items could have been missed at the NCT and now I'm worried that it wont pass on one of them.

Previously, I always got my NCT done and then went to the garage with a list of work to be done. If I had gone straight to the garage before the NCT then I would have paid over €1k for the work the garage say need doing. The original quote that I got for the brake pipe was €160.

mystika121

The reason they say the cost will be high is that I need a new master cylinder as it 'fell apart' when they tried to change the brake pipe and they couldn't bleed the brakes.

mystika121

I went to a main dealer as I felt I could trust them as I don't have much experience with car repairs.

Plug

Well if the master cylinder fell apart well sh!t happens im afraid:( That sure upped the price a good bit then. The car is 15 years after all and maybe the master cylinder seals were ruined. Anyway the bill will tell all.