Garage unable to fix car, big bill
Discussion
Friend of mine has an 18 year old Volvo C30.
Steering lock fault appeared, fairly common issue that also occurred on the equivalent Ford Focus, same part, according to the Internet.
RAC agreed what the likely fault was, car had to be trailored to Volvo main dealer garage as front wheels can't be turned.
Steering lock part was on back order, takes a couple of weeks to arrive and it was quoted by Volvo as a 500 pound job. That was the only work agreed to.
After the Volvo garage had had the car for one week, no update was given at all. My friend has had to hire a replacement car to get around.
I called the garage to get an update, asked them had they managed to fit the new lock - sounded like an unconvincing yes, but the car was still stuck outside the workshop as 'they couldn't turn the wheels'. (if they had at least got the old part off they could have turned the wheels so I'm a bit sceptical they had even done that).
Said they needed the other key and that would definitely fix the issue even though I said both keys performed the same way with new batteries in both. Anyway took other key around to them and no surprise didn't work either. They were going to get their "senior tech who knows the older cars better on it on Monday."
Another two (yes two) weeks go by with zero communication from the garage at all. I dropped in to see them at the weekend. Car is outside and the console is in many many bits. At least the old steering lock is off though can't see any new part fitted.
Had meeting without coffee with the workshop manager. He says they have tried everything and can't understand the fault. They have spent twelve hours at 180 quid an hour (he says don't worry not going to charge her that) doing all sorts of tests every day. Three different techs have looked at it.
He says most likely needs a new ECM 1500 quid at least. But he also said they have literally no idea what the problem actually is. Insists they've tried recoding, he says Volvo head office no help.
The car is worth 500 quid if it was working. My friend absolutely does not have money to throw at wild guess fixes. Trailoring it to an independent is going to cost more money.
What should we do next? Do we formally tell Volvo to put it all back together and we will pay the 500 quoted even though it's not fixed? Should they not just have said 3 weeks ago they have no idea how to fix it sorry take the car away?
Whole thing has been shambolic really grrrr.
Steering lock fault appeared, fairly common issue that also occurred on the equivalent Ford Focus, same part, according to the Internet.
RAC agreed what the likely fault was, car had to be trailored to Volvo main dealer garage as front wheels can't be turned.
Steering lock part was on back order, takes a couple of weeks to arrive and it was quoted by Volvo as a 500 pound job. That was the only work agreed to.
After the Volvo garage had had the car for one week, no update was given at all. My friend has had to hire a replacement car to get around.
I called the garage to get an update, asked them had they managed to fit the new lock - sounded like an unconvincing yes, but the car was still stuck outside the workshop as 'they couldn't turn the wheels'. (if they had at least got the old part off they could have turned the wheels so I'm a bit sceptical they had even done that).
Said they needed the other key and that would definitely fix the issue even though I said both keys performed the same way with new batteries in both. Anyway took other key around to them and no surprise didn't work either. They were going to get their "senior tech who knows the older cars better on it on Monday."
Another two (yes two) weeks go by with zero communication from the garage at all. I dropped in to see them at the weekend. Car is outside and the console is in many many bits. At least the old steering lock is off though can't see any new part fitted.
Had meeting without coffee with the workshop manager. He says they have tried everything and can't understand the fault. They have spent twelve hours at 180 quid an hour (he says don't worry not going to charge her that) doing all sorts of tests every day. Three different techs have looked at it.
He says most likely needs a new ECM 1500 quid at least. But he also said they have literally no idea what the problem actually is. Insists they've tried recoding, he says Volvo head office no help.
The car is worth 500 quid if it was working. My friend absolutely does not have money to throw at wild guess fixes. Trailoring it to an independent is going to cost more money.
What should we do next? Do we formally tell Volvo to put it all back together and we will pay the 500 quoted even though it's not fixed? Should they not just have said 3 weeks ago they have no idea how to fix it sorry take the car away?
Whole thing has been shambolic really grrrr.
I had this many years ago with my first ever car. A Ford Orion.
Squeak from front wheel, took it to a garage my then girlfriend’s dad recommended and they had it for a few days said they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. And they charged me ‘investigation time’…
Took it to my normal garage (this was 30 years ago so god knows why I didn’t just take it there to begin with) and they replaced a wheel bearing within an hour. All done.
At the time I was earning very little so was pretty pissed off at being charged for what I saw as incompetence.
Squeak from front wheel, took it to a garage my then girlfriend’s dad recommended and they had it for a few days said they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. And they charged me ‘investigation time’…
Took it to my normal garage (this was 30 years ago so god knows why I didn’t just take it there to begin with) and they replaced a wheel bearing within an hour. All done.
At the time I was earning very little so was pretty pissed off at being charged for what I saw as incompetence.
Why on earth would anyone take a £500 car to a main dealer? At this point, I'd scrap it.
Ignoring the fact that the dealer is clearly incompetent and in my eyes, their labour so far isn't worth a penny. If you can't find the fault, how can you have the gaul to charge a customer! (I'll happily have a look at it for just £50/hour to tell them that I have no idea either).
Even if it does go to an independent, it will still probably cost a few hundred quid to sort.
Btw, for every 20 ECUs that "need replacing", only 1 actually does (and even that can usually be fixed for £5-600 by sending it off to the right place). Unless water damaged, they are generally very reliable.
Ignoring the fact that the dealer is clearly incompetent and in my eyes, their labour so far isn't worth a penny. If you can't find the fault, how can you have the gaul to charge a customer! (I'll happily have a look at it for just £50/hour to tell them that I have no idea either).
Even if it does go to an independent, it will still probably cost a few hundred quid to sort.
Btw, for every 20 ECUs that "need replacing", only 1 actually does (and even that can usually be fixed for £5-600 by sending it off to the right place). Unless water damaged, they are generally very reliable.
It’s always difficult when it comes to diagnostics the customer doesn’t always want to pay it and the garage doesn’t always want to charge it.
Personally on a £500 car I would cut my losses and scrap it.
However it might be worth disconnecting the steering column from the rack and seeing what can be turned, that would then rule out the rack itself and put the blame on the column or on the ignition barrel- which I thought was a known thing on the Volvos
Personally on a £500 car I would cut my losses and scrap it.
However it might be worth disconnecting the steering column from the rack and seeing what can be turned, that would then rule out the rack itself and put the blame on the column or on the ignition barrel- which I thought was a known thing on the Volvos
Can't you stick your hand in your pocket and get it to a good Indy that also has a coffee machine on site.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
As already mentioned why take a £500 shed to a main dealer where less than 3 hours labour exceeds the value of the car when it is working?
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
As already mentioned why take a £500 shed to a main dealer where less than 3 hours labour exceeds the value of the car when it is working?
Putting the insanity of taking a 16 year old car to a main dealer (you're very lucky they arent charging for the 12hrs labour already put in.).
Don't tell them to reassemble it or you will be authorising further work. Just call a scrap man and get him to pick it up from the dealer as is.
Don't tell them to reassemble it or you will be authorising further work. Just call a scrap man and get him to pick it up from the dealer as is.
Monkeylegend said:
Can't you stick your hand in your pocket and get it to a good Indy that also has a coffee machine on site.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
As already mentioned why take a £500 shed to a main dealer where less than 3 hours labour exceeds the value of the car when it is working?
Another economics master class. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
As already mentioned why take a £500 shed to a main dealer where less than 3 hours labour exceeds the value of the car when it is working?
It's the cost of a replacement that matters. Also the replacement car's depreciation. Lots of reasons to keep an otherwise good car running.
I was borderline about getting our 2019 CX5 recovered to the main dealer for a broken gear change cable, but they were the only place open on a Saturday afternoon and I know their labour rates are acceptable. Not sure I would be so quick to send a £500 car there. I have had a couple of Volvo's, but was lucky enough to have a very good local specialist, who knew the cars better than the main dealer and was considerably cheaper. Hindsight is wonderful, but I'd be scrapping the car asap before the garage starts charging.
Pica-Pica said:
Monkeylegend said:
Can't you stick your hand in your pocket and get it to a good Indy that also has a coffee machine on site.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
As already mentioned why take a £500 shed to a main dealer where less than 3 hours labour exceeds the value of the car when it is working?
Another economics master class. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
As already mentioned why take a £500 shed to a main dealer where less than 3 hours labour exceeds the value of the car when it is working?
It's the cost of a replacement that matters. Also the replacement car's depreciation. Lots of reasons to keep an otherwise good car running.
If you're not friendly with a local trading estate garage or have a mate that "knows of Volvos" then you're pretty buggered really when it comes to cost effective maintenance.
Paying out £500 on a car worth that amount (when working!) makes very little sense. Paying £500 now and getting back a car in the same condition or worse even less so. I'd be thinking about cutting ones losses and aiming to walk away and buying another - working - ~£500 car.
Pica-Pica said:
Monkeylegend said:
Can't you stick your hand in your pocket and get it to a good Indy that also has a coffee machine on site.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
As already mentioned why take a £500 shed to a main dealer where less than 3 hours labour exceeds the value of the car when it is working?
Another economics master class. https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
As already mentioned why take a £500 shed to a main dealer where less than 3 hours labour exceeds the value of the car when it is working?
It's the cost of a replacement that matters. Also the replacement car's depreciation. Lots of reasons to keep an otherwise good car running.
Pica-Pica said:
It's the cost of a replacement that matters. Also the replacement car's depreciation. Lots of reasons to keep an otherwise good car running.
I saw many people happy to chuck money at repairing thier old car.And the above is correct.
The car may be pretty good, apart from the repair required.
And a replacement car?
That might have issues, a bad history? An unknown.
Plus the hassle of finding another car, changing insurance, dealing with car dealers etc.
I'd be happy to repair a cheap car if it'd given me good service for so many years.
Trevor555 said:
simon_harris said:
Have you told the main dealer to try youtube?
I ran a little village garage for a year, favour to a friend whilst he was poorly.Google, and youtube, supplied many, many, correct diagnosis's after my Techy was scratching his head, shrugging his shoulders.
I am an accountant and one or two of my clients have started getting tax advice from the same source.
It works fine, so long as they know for certain that the advice given actually relates to the current tax year and the UK tax regime, not last year and/or Australia, Canada or the USA.
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