A garage damaged my car

MassiveTool · 13-12-2011 3:31pm #1

I got 4 new tyres fitted to my car 2 weeks ago. They did a laser alignment also that day.
By the time I got the car home all the power steering fluid had leaked out of the steering rack. I had it checked out by a proper mechanic who says that the rack was damaged by the guys fitting the tyres, they bent a rod and damaged a seal.
I went to the tyre garage and told them what i thought happened. They took a look at the car and fobbed me off with a bullshi* story about the seal letting go and it being no fault of theirs. I explained that the seal failed at exactly the same time they worked on it and that they caused it, but got no joy from them.
Its cost me over 500 quid to get this fixed since.
Has anyone any idea what comeback i wud have with these morons.
Is there any legal way of getting them to pay the invoice for the damage caused?:mad:

sportzstar · 13-12-2011 3:36pm

Small claims court is your best best, Sounds like an open and shut case to me.

Avns1s · 13-12-2011 3:37pm

I'd say you'll have to live with it. You can of course take legal action but you'll have great fun proving that it happened when they were working on the car. It'll be your word against theirs.

What exactly did they bend and how? I ask this because there isn't anything that they should have been working on in a fashion and with such force that could possibly have bent the track rod.

Tallon · 13-12-2011 3:39pm

Photos

Get photos!!!!!

Owen · 13-12-2011 3:48pm

Seems odd that fitting tyres and tracking would have someone exerting enough force to bend a track rod arm. I think we need photos, it sounds more plausible that something subsequently happened to the car which bent the track rod arm and damaged the seal.

Fitting tyres is just a case of unbolting each wheel and bringing it to the tyre machine. Tracking is just a case of camber/toe/caster with spanners. I can't see how any of that could cause the damage you've mentioned.

MidlandsM · 13-12-2011 3:52pm

Sound more like the car was brought for a lash (test drive) and they damamged it then.

Owen · 13-12-2011 3:53pm

MidlandsM wrote: »

Sound more like the car was brought for a lash (test drive) and they damamged it then.

What are you basing that on? That's a bit of a leap.

MidlandsM · 13-12-2011 3:56pm

Owen wrote: »

What are you basing that on? That's a bit of a leap.

I'm not basing it on anything. I'm being speculative, but it'd be a fair question for the OP to ask the garage did his/her vehicle leave the premises for a test run or for any other reason?

YouTookMyName · 13-12-2011 3:59pm

Seized hub and too much force getting the rim off?

Owen · 13-12-2011 4:02pm

MidlandsM wrote: »

I'm not basing it on anything. I'm being speculative, but it'd be a fair question for the OP to ask the garage did his/her vehicle leave the premises for a test run or for any other reason?

Sorry, but it's posts like this that inflame threads. The OP's already IMVHO jumping to conclusions, and putting fuel on the flames by suggesting the garage do a Ferris Bueller and take the car out on a joyride is a bit much.

It's much more likely that the seal was on it's way out, and that the track rod arm was damaged by something on the drive in the interim 2 weeks. We know the seal for the power steering failed after the tyres, the track rod arm had 2 weeks to be damaged before the mechanics saw it. It could have happened at any point. That's the simplest and most likely explanation.

MidlandsM · 13-12-2011 4:06pm

Owen wrote: »

Sorry, but it's posts like this that inflame threads. The OP's already IMVHO jumping to conclusions, and putting fuel on the flames by suggesting the garage do a Ferris Bueller and take the car out on a joyride is a bit much.

no need to apologise or to disect my post. You're not a mod, and if you have an issue with my post, report it. :rolleyes:

It can be posters like you who make forums tedious.

Owen · 13-12-2011 4:07pm

I didn't need to report your post

I could however report your insult to me above.

It's just a silly accusation that you made, based on absolutely no evidence, and not helpful to the OP's situation.

MidlandsM · 13-12-2011 4:08pm

Owen wrote: »

I didn't need to report your post

It's just a silly accusation that you made, based on absolutely no evidence, and not helpful to the OP's situation.

all of which is your opinion......so........??

stop backseat modding or i'll report you for it.

Tallon · 13-12-2011 4:08pm

Jeeze guys, give it a rest

Midlands, you said "Sound more like the car was brought for a lash"

At no point does it or did it sound like that, unless they entered the thing into a rally while it was in the garage!

You weren't speculating, you were giving the appearance that thats what caused the issue

OP, get photos, take as many as you can, and document all conversations with both mechanics, then go to small claims if you really want to

MidlandsM · 13-12-2011 4:12pm

I was being SPECULATIVE............if you cant see that, then specsavers for you.

Tallon · 13-12-2011 4:13pm

MidlandsM wrote: »

I was being SPECULATIVE............if you cant see that, then specsavers for you.

How did you know I wear glasses?

MidlandsM · 13-12-2011 4:18pm

Tallon wrote: »

How did you know I wear glasses?

I was "Spec"-u-lating...........he he;):D

no hassles Tallon or Owen for that matter, just having the craic.:D:D

Owen · 13-12-2011 4:20pm

MidlandsM wrote: »

stop backseat modding or i'll report you for it.

No one's back seat modding. If I had, I'd have said something like 'Stop making this sort of post here', I just debated what you said with you. I attacked the post, not the poster. Subsequently, you've felt the need to have a go at both myself and Tallon, as well as winding up the OP. None of which was really necessary.

All I was trying to do is make the point is that making assumptions with no facts doesn't help the OP's already complicated problems. The OP's clearly upset with what's happened, and would like helpful answers based on his/her situation.

MidlandsM · 13-12-2011 4:24pm

backseat modding comes in many forms.......

EPM · 13-12-2011 4:35pm

MidlandsM wrote: »

all of which is your opinion......so........??

stop backseat modding or i'll report you for it.

You're the one back seat modding and giving out insults here.

Warning given. Please refrain from goading other posters.

MidlandsM · 13-12-2011 6:37pm

EPM wrote: »

You're the one back seat modding and giving out insults here.

Warning given. Please refrain from goading other posters.

ohhh dear........

EPM · 13-12-2011 7:00pm

MidlandsM wrote: »

ohhh dear........

Fine, take a couple of days off.

A garage damaged my car

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