Have I got a leg to stand on?

[Ryan196]

Hi,

EDIT: Ford Focus Zetec 2008 1.6

Im after a bit of advice, I recently got my car MOT’D in a garage I’ve never used before, I was told I needed a new driveshaft so I had this changed for £250 I still owe him £140 of this (only repair needed) passed MOT, when I picked my car up I noticed third gear felt very very spongey and felt as if it was not going into gear properly, on my way home it popped out of gear back into neutral x3.

I took my car back to the garage that day and told him the problems to which he agreed to bring it back in the next day.
I took it in and he had the car for a few hours upon returning to collect my car he agreed their was a problem and simply told me “the gear box is going”
After collecting my car and driving home 1st gear is now doing the same as the third.

I have made it my mission all weekend to visit every garage around my area and ask about the situation to which not one have said my gear box is going.

I have been told it could be..
Cables
Synchromesh
Gear shifter (inner, outer?)
Gear oil
Gear selecter

I’m a not very good with cars and would appreciate some advice on what I should do absolutely fuming as my car had ZERO issues before going in for the MOT.
I will also be calling citizens advice Monday morning and taking it third party for advice.

Thank you

Edited by Ryan196 on Saturday 16th February 19:45

Edited by Ryan196 on Saturday 16th February 19:48

[sunbeam alpine]

Could be helpful if you let us know what car it is...

[Ryan196]

Edited post, cheers! Ranting away didn’t realise sorry 😆😆

[drdino]

When you changed the "drivetrain", what exactly was replaced?

[E-bmw]

By drive train, do you mean drive shaft by any chance?

Drive train covers gearbox/driveshafts/clutch/hubs/wheels and other ancillaries.

[Monkeylegend]

Ryan196 said:

Hi,

EDIT: Ford Focus Zetec 2008 1.6

Im after a bit of advice, I recently got my car MOT’D in a garage I’ve never used before, I was told I needed a new drivetrain so I had this changed for £250 I still owe him £140 of this (only repair needed) passed MOT, when I picked my car up I noticed third gear felt very very spongey and felt as if it was not going into gear properly, on my way home it popped out of gear back into neutral x3.

I took my car back to the garage that day and told him the problems to which he agreed to bring it back in the next day.
I took it in and he had the car for a few hours upon returning to collect my car he agreed their was a problem and simply told me “the gear box is going”
After collecting my car and driving home 1st gear is now doing the same as the third.

I have made it my mission all weekend to visit every garage around my area and ask about the situation to which not one have said my gear box is going.

I have been told it could be..
Cables
Synchromesh
Gear shifter (inner, outer?)
Gear oil
Gear selecter

I’m a not very good with cars and would appreciate some advice on what I should do absolutely fuming as my car had ZERO issues before going in for the MOT.
I will also be calling citizens advice Monday morning and taking it third party for advice.

Thank you

Edited by Ryan196 on Saturday 16th February 19:45

What do you mean by you had the drivetrain changed for £250?

Clutch, driveshaft, gearbox?

[Ryan196]

Yes drive shaft, apologies! was replaced due to offside driveshaft bearing being excessively worn

[E-bmw]

OK off-side drive shaft is a long one on that then I think.

So he probably should have dropped/jacked up the engine/box & dropped the off-side leg/hub off to get space but probably didn't & could well have either damaged or left loose an engine/gearbox mount which now means the gear selectors are not reaching where they should.

Take it back, tell him what has happened & if he can't sort it you need to take it elsewhere & tell him he is a feckwit!

[Ryan196]

Thanks for the reply, I’ll tell him this too on Monday, would you say I am in right to demand him repair the issue? My argument is it has went into the garage without fault and been returned with a problem.

Absolutely useless with cars I think garages smell me a mile off

[E-bmw]

100%, you left a car without a fault & took one away with a fault.

[Ryan196]

Great, thanks a lot for the help

[imagineifyeswill]

Theres no jacking up of engine gearbox or removal of mounts to change a driveshaft on a Focus, simple half hour job as long as nothing seized.

[Fermit and Sexy Sarah]

In your shoes I would take it elsewhere, pay them half an hours time to diagnose and figure out what he's done, and get them to write the same up for you. Then present the original garage with this information, and state that you expect him to right it. If he refuses point out that it only costs you £35 (?) to report it to the small claims court, and that you won't hesitate to do just that.

[Oldandslow]

This is a bit out there but if you are really cynical you might be inclined to wonder if you have been gifted somebody else's knackered gearbox. A second garage or main dealer should be able to spot any signs of the gearbox being recently swapped.

[stevieturbo]

Oldandslow said:

This is a bit out there but if you are really cynical you might be inclined to wonder if you have been gifted somebody else's knackered gearbox. A second garage or main dealer should be able to spot any signs of the gearbox being recently swapped.

More likely something has been knocked or damaged during work prior to the problem appearing.

[M_A_S]

Ryan196 said:

Yes drive shaft, apologies! was replaced due to offside driveshaft bearing being excessively worn

There is no bearing in the offside driveshaft, or indeed the nearside. What's the registration of the car?

[stevieturbo]

M_A_S said:

There is no bearing in the offside driveshaft, or indeed the nearside. What's the registration of the car?