What would you guys do - Recent brake work nearly causes an accident

[maddog1982]

So girlfriend decides to take her car (Mini cooper 2008) for an MOT and it fails on rear brake pads, quoted £180 to replace. Advised this was to much but she went ahead anyway. Next day she texts me complaining the car sounds like a helicopter, next thing I know the car completely locks the rear wheels and has to be towed to the nearest garage. Bear in mind she has two young kids in the back of her car and if this had happened on the motorway I shudder to think what would of happened. At the garage the mechanic removes wheel and it turns out they had put the caliper bolt in only finger tight as the caliper just fell off! He took photos and wrote a statement saying what he had seen, and also saying this was the worst kind of thing he had seen in 20 years. The mechanic who carried out the original work went to pick her up to tow her car back to the garage and offered her £500 not to say anything as he didn't want to lose his job, she turned this down. The girlfriend goes back to the original garage and basically gets mugged off, the owner tells her hes ran this place for 8 years and never had a complaint and he even broke his £140 tool removing the calipers. Shes fearful to go back, im fuming and want to go and cause a stink as to me its pretty serious.

Edited February 3, 2015 by maddog1982

[-Bradders-]

Threaten to sue? tell them you want compensating? get trading standards involved?

[Ekona]

It was a very simple mistake. It's very easy to forget you've just put a bolt in finger tight with the intention of coming back to it later, I've done it plenty of times myself. Anywhere else and this probably wouldn't be a huge issue.

 

However, on the brakes it can be utterly lethal, which is why you're rightly annoyed. Ultimately it depends on how far you're prepared to take this. Would you go to court over it, possibly a year down the line? I'm not sure I could be bothered, if I'm honest. What is it ultimately you want?

 

 

Go back in, in a very calm manner, and explain what happened. Give them a call first so you have a guaranteed time to meet someone, and then ask them whether they think it's acceptable that they should keep the full amount that you paid for the works. I would suggest that certainly you shouldn't be paying for the labour seeing as how the job wasn't completed correctly, and that the brake pads should now be coming free as a way of saying sorry. They don't owe you anything else, not really (tbh, she really should've taken the £500 cash!), so no point going in guns blazing if you already know they're going to be on the defensive. Smile, be polite, and call the guy a w*nker once you're outside with the refund in hand. If they're a member of any recognised group, then give them a call AFTERWARDS and explain what happened if you don't get the result you want.

 

I actually feel sorry for the tech involved here, it sounds like a genuine mistake that could cause him a serious amount of grief. I know you're angry now, I would be too, but honestly a calm head is the best way to get the result you're after.

[maddog1982]

It was a very simple mistake. It's very easy to forget you've just put a bolt in finger tight with the intention of coming back to it later, I've done it plenty of times myself. Anywhere else and this probably wouldn't be a huge issue.

 

However, on the brakes it can be utterly lethal, which is why you're rightly annoyed. Ultimately it depends on how far you're prepared to take this. Would you go to court over it, possibly a year down the line? I'm not sure I could be bothered, if I'm honest. What is it ultimately you want?

 

 

Go back in, in a very calm manner, and explain what happened. Give them a call first so you have a guaranteed time to meet someone, and then ask them whether they think it's acceptable that they should keep the full amount that you paid for the works. I would suggest that certainly you shouldn't be paying for the labour seeing as how the job wasn't completed correctly, and that the brake pads should now be coming free as a way of saying sorry. They don't owe you anything else, not really (tbh, she really should've taken the £500 cash!), so no point going in guns blazing if you already know they're going to be on the defensive. Smile, be polite, and call the guy a w*nker once you're outside with the refund in hand. If they're a member of any recognised group, then give them a call AFTERWARDS and explain what happened if you don't get the result you want.

 

I actually feel sorry for the tech involved here, it sounds like a genuine mistake that could cause him a serious amount of grief. I know you're angry now, I would be too, but honestly a calm head is the best way to get the result you're after.

 

I did say she should of taken the cash, I feel personally the least they could of done is exactly what you have said, refund the £180 and a new set of pads as these could be shot after what had happened. Im just glad this happened at a slow speed to be honest. I have calmed down from last night, I will have to pop in on the weekend unless they are open late.

[Tricky-Ricky]

Personally I would be reporting the garage to VOSA, and then follow up with legal action.

[Ekona]

I did say she should of taken the cash, I feel personally the least they could of done is exactly what you have said, refund the £180 and a new set of pads as these could be shot after what had happened. Im just glad this happened at a slow speed to be honest. I have calmed down from last night, I will have to pop in on the weekend unless they are open late.

Good man, very sensible attitude

 

All this talk of suing is a bit premature, as it's going to cost money to do that and the sum involved is very little, comparatively speaking.

[Tricky-Ricky]

Although its a personal thing, the very fact that its been verified and documented by another mechanic as being potentially life threatening, add to this the fact that the original mechanic offered money because he knew he had seriously cocked up, would you want to take a car or recommend that garage to anyone that you didn't want to end un in an accident?

 

It may well have been an honest mistake, however at the very least it should be reported to VOSA....would you not report incompetence by a medical practitioner? it amounts to the same thing, as they are both potentially life threatening.

[Ekona]

No, I wouldn't use them again, but what exactly is there to sue for? There's no loss here, thankfully.

 

I do agree that I'd be giving VOSA a tinkle though. Maybe not yet, I'd see what happened, but certainly couldn't hurt.

[Toon Chris]

This isn't the same as as a doctor misdiagnosing cancer or a surgeon removing the wrong kidney. Those people are (hopefully) trained and experienced not to make even one mistake (again, hopefully)

Less well trained people do make mistakes and the mechanic is more likely to remember this as a close shave and pay more attention from now onwards - to learn from his mistakes. People do deserve a second chance.

 

For the OP, who cares if the owner broke a tool, assuming thats even true. If it was a decent garage using decent tools then it will be immediaetly replaced by the supplier for no charge. Anyway, utterly urrelevant.

Basically they did not do the work properly, caused a lot of inconvenience and upset and risk to life. A full refund is a minimum in thsi situation.

If the man says no, write a letter saying the services he supplied were inadequate and if he doesn't refund you in 10 days you will go to a small claims court. Small claims are easy to do and pretty cheap and they tend to work on common sense, in this case that you didn't get the services you paid for. They may even compensate for inconvenience if you ask for a small extra sum (don't be greedy).

Edited February 3, 2015 by Toon Chris

[comrade]

She should have taken the money. The only thing that she is entitled to is a compensation of a financial loss that she incurred as a result of the mechanic screwing up. Contrary to what people are saying there is no right to a full refund. She can only get what it cost her to put it right.

 

Legally 'potentially life threatening' and 'risk to life' mean nothing unless there was some kind of malice involved. No actual harm - no compensation beyond financial losses.

 

VOSA won't care a bit about a single case of a mechanic forgetting to tighten up a bolt.

[Tricky-Ricky]

 

VOSA won't care a bit about a single case of a mechanic forgetting to tighten up a bolt.

 

If that is in deed the case, its rather worrying that the work was carried out in order to pass an MOT, and although its no guarantee of road worthiness, it make me glad I never rely on mechanics,

[Marcus01]

I don't know what shocks me more,

£180 for new rear pads fitted or not double checking the cradle bolts are tight.

Presuming the pads were stupidly expensive at £50 and the garage charged 30 mins labour. That would equate to £260 per hour inc vat labour charge.

Nice work if you can get it.

For sure mistakes happen in any environment, with what you describe has happened there will have been a warning noise before the end result.

I have taught my wife and daughter to listen to there cars for any odd sounds as one day stopping and checking may save their lives.

If I was you approach the garage in a polite manner, ask for any money you are out of pocket for regarding recovery and a goodwill gesture for the poor quality of workmanship.

Threatening this and that will just get you nowhere I suspect.

[a2orry]

Same as above £180 up my way gets you discs and pads

[Marcus01]

I read that the car failed on rear brake pads, so presumed only brake pads were replaced, no mention of discs.

[a2orry]

What I mean is you are getting ripped off at 180 for pads only.

[gsexr]

Perhaps that price included the cost of the MOT ?

[maddog1982]

Perhaps that price included the cost of the MOT ?

 

Mot was extra 50, 180 was just for rear pads and labour.

[Marcus01]

As I said originally, that is SHOCKING !!!!

Ripping off lady customers is oh so common with garages.

Name and shame.

[Rock_Steady]

_{I like the part how the manager said he broke one of his tools getting the calliper off . So what?????? That's not anyone's fault and not even relevant. Pillock!! Personally I would've taken the cash and had them do it for free. As Ekona said, it's an easy mistake to make but for the love of jesus that's something you should just do up tight first time round. Can't afford a lax attitude to things such as the brakes.}

[Ricey]

He could do with having a chat with his tool supplier as well because a £140 ratchet shouldn't really be breaking taking a fecking caliper bolt off!

 

Full of kack.

 

I do agree with Dan - it's an easy mistake to make but an unforgivable one when you're charging anyone any amount of money to do a professional job.

 

Christ I left a spanner in an undertray the other day and I was mortified with myself!

 

As said though she should have took the 500 and run.

Edited February 4, 2015 by Ricey

[maddog1982]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I will call them today as I wont get chance to pop in due to work. See what they say, expecting to get mugged off though

[rabbitstew]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I will call them today as I wont get chance to pop in due to work. See what they say, expecting to get mugged off though

 

Its things exactly like this which stopped me ever using a garage again, buying my own tools & doing the job myself. Me & my family have only ever had bad experiences with garages and so just wont touch them. A few stories below.

 

I had a car actually catch fire as I drove away from a garage once after they did some work on it. They had broken a heat shield under the bonnet & left it lying on the hot turbo/manifolds. The same car they had also "forgot" to connect a pipe which set the boost level for the turbo so it was dangerously overboosting and nearly blew the head gasket, and to top it up I found a gearbox bolt lying in the rain gutter on the car. I went back and complained, the manager basically said it was my word against his so tough. As this was a national chain of garages, I complained to their head office who just spoke to the manager involved, then told me exactly the same thing. Wasnt worth me persuing via the courts so I just forked out £200 for a new heatshield and left it at that.

 

My brother had new brake pads fitted once to his hot hatch at a local garage, he turned up 10mins early to collect it. As he stood on the forecourt he heard this car having the living daylights rung out of it down the local bypass, literally bouncing off the rev limiter in each gear. The car came screetching around the roundabout and onto the garage forecourt and hey presto it was my brothers car. The YTS mechanic told him he was just "checking the new brake pads". My brother told him what he thought to that.

 

My Aunt had new brake pads fitted at a main dealer once as part of its MOT, then as she only ever has the same main dealer look at her car she took it back for an MOT 12 months later. They phoned her up asking why there was a rusty pair of mole grips clamped onto one of the rear brake hoses. Obviously she had no idea as shes not a mechanic. Turned out when the main dealer had fitted the pads 12 months earlier the mechanic had left the mole grips there by accident. In this case, the garage took full responsibility and replaced the brake hose & did a full MOT for free on the car.

 

One of the very few times ive had to venture to a garage recently was to a Nissan main dealer when I was given the mis-guided impression that they would do some work under warranty. The mechanic drove the car into the workshop and not realising I was watching him through the glass screen proceeded to rev the living tits out of my 350z. The K1 exhaust was pretty loud as you can imagine inside the workshop. It was only when the parts manager caught me looking and shat himself that he managed to communicate to the mechanic that the owner was a 15 stone skin head and didnt look overly happy.. Fair play to the mechanic he did come out looking very sheepish and grovelled for forgiveness to me as if his job/life depended on it.

[HaydnH]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I will call them today as I wont get chance to pop in due to work. See what they say, expecting to get mugged off though

 

 

If they do try and mug you off, calmly explain that you're trying to be reasonable and that you're looking to resolve the issue between yourselves without having to get any thrid parties involved.

[docwra]

I had this in my 306, went to brake and there was nothing, fortunately you dont really have to slow down for corners in that

 

Checked once Id stopped and one rear brake pad had fallen out of the caliper and the other was well on the way - went beserk, got £100 or something but TBH it was a mistake, they happen so I let it go after that. Worrying though, Id certainly be looking for decent compensation on top of whatever its cost you already, good luck

[rabbitstew]

I had this in my 306, went to brake and there was nothing, fortunately you dont really have to slow down for corners in that

 

Checked once Id stopped and one rear brake pad had fallen out of the caliper and the other was well on the way - went beserk, got £100 or something but TBH it was a mistake, they happen so I let it go after that. Worrying though, Id certainly be looking for decent compensation on top of whatever its cost you already, good luck

 

I had that happen on my 5 turbo, which I think has the same rear calipers. Theres a very small clip which holds a bit of small angle-iron in which is all what holds the brake pads in. If the clip falls out (or isnt put in properly) then the pads soon fall out. Luckily when it happened to me I was only doing about 20mph. I stopped the car, picked the brake pads back up and refitted them using a bit of tree to wedge the pads in. At least it held until I could buy a new fitting kit.