What Would You Do with This Service Centre Error?

Bid Sniper on 13/10/2022 - 20:37
Last edited 14/10/2022 - 10:13 by 1 other user

Had a car serviced on Monday. Got a call this afternoon saying that a mechanic's impact wrench "was not torquing to spec" and to come in.

Found all lug nuts loose, like 1/2 turn by tyre iron not even breaker bar. So I'm not buying their excuse. So I came in, manager torqued all to spec.

Also asked to check sump plug which was okish. Found two bolts missing from undertray. Video they sent sounded like 2nd year mechanic was possible stoned or stoner.

Drove this car for 4 days including on M4.

I was ok with manager as $#!t happens and they did retify. Some colleagues saying I should demand more. This car will be out of warranty next year so will DIY it from now on.

However I'm curious what would you do?

Poll Options

• 41
  Let it be
• 1
  Lose my $#!t
• 3
  Demand compensation

• 

  jolee3 on 13/10/2022 - 21:00

  Mechanics are so hit and miss. I know nothing about car engines so I'm probably a real patsy, so I try to take it somewhere recommended. 5 or 6 years ago I took my car at the time to an NRMA service centre thinking it would be more reliable under the NRMA banner.

  I'm still not sure what they messed up because they were so vague about it, but whatever it was left me pulling over on the side of the road leaking petrol a couple of days later. I am lucky it wasn't 10 minutes earlier on a highway. I had to have it towed back to the service centre, wait 3 days for them to fix it with a mumbled excuse and barely an apology.

  I escalated to NRMA who offered $100 off my next service there which was disingenuous as they know full well I wasn't going to go back. I responded to them saying that and they ignored me.

  Point is, and I do have one, I just had to let it go in the end. Still kind of pisses me off but there was nowhere else to go with it I thought.

  • 

    DASHCAM NOW DUDE on 13/10/2022 - 21:42

    Similar experience with NRMA. You'd assume they would be reliable. Sadly, mostly very young apprentices with very little experience and enthusiasm.

    I had a transmission problem and they recommended a gearbox replacement. Fine. $2500 later, still had problems. After multiple visits, turns out It was just a bad clutch pump that was a common issue on my vehicle.

    2 years later, same issue. SAME RECOMMENDATION = REPLACE GEARBOX. I told them it wasn't the gearbox and to check my vehicles history. They changed the clutch pump. Problem solved.

• 

  bloom on 13/10/2022 - 21:26

  -2

  It’s actually spent cOmP3nSaT1oNz!

  • 

    mapax on 13/10/2022 - 21:30

    +5

    They got the demand part correct though, and they’ve already torqued with the manager…

• 

  jizmo on 13/10/2022 - 21:45

  How do you know they replaced the copper washer in the sump plug? and the tension wrench deal on the wheels.
  Should have done it all yourself and saved a couple of Thou
  ^engineers joke

• 

  Davo1111 on 13/10/2022 - 23:23

  +1

  i'd ask them to redo everything

• 

  [Deactivated] on 14/10/2022 - 00:51

  +1

  i'd take it to a well reviewed mechanic and tell him what's happened, ask him to check their work.

• 

  Euphemistic on 14/10/2022 - 05:56

  That marginally better than finding a couple of wheels nuts missing and the rest of the ones on that wheel loose after getting new tyres.

  I went back, told them the problem and they replaced the wheel nuts - it only after trying to tell me that it’s my job to check they were tight enough.

• 

  JIMB0 on 14/10/2022 - 06:02

  DIY

• 

  EightImmortals on 14/10/2022 - 08:38

  +1

  They fixed their problem, no harm done. Move on.

• 

  [Deactivated] on 14/10/2022 - 08:50

  +4

  So, let me check this….work was done; a possible issue was identified and they made proactive contact. They addressed all of the issues you called out. Other than the inconvenience of a return visits, how else have you been impacted - financially or otherwise?

  Personally, I would get on with my life. But if the workshop has otherwise done good work, you might want to ask the manager for a bumper-to-bumper inspection, by a different mechanic, to put your mind at ease. But it sounds like you're competent and wouldn't trust them anyway so cut to the chase and spend a day doing it yourself.

• 

  payless69 on 14/10/2022 - 09:31

  Tell us more about the warranty!