Opinions on Mechanics Workmanship
Discussion
Morning all, I had both rear springs replaced last week on my Alfa Romeo as one had broken when I hit a pothole. Now this garage has been looking after my cars for about a decade but recently his workforce has gone from two to about 5 or 6, mostly young apprentices.
I looked under the car the day after I picked it up as I heard a creak. On inspection it doesn’t look like they’ve replaced the rubber mounts properly or at all. The bottom ones are missing altogether. When I questioned it the other mechanic said they weren't there originally (again photo I took the day I left the car in show shows they were present and in good condition). Then he told me you didn’t need them, so why did Alfa put them on from new. No apology for throwing them away.
The top mounts have been bodged as is clear from the after photos. The Alfa Romeo specialist when I sent them the photos about part numbers for new ones said "they were worn but have been butchered or bodged putting them back in". I mentioned this to the mechanic who got triggered and said "you said I butchered them". Again I did not I simply said what the Alfa specialist had said when he saw the photographs. I did not accuse or make accusations against him or any of his employees.
I asked why the top ones weren’t changed if they were so worn as they are only £16 each and he had my mobile number and I'd have no issues with that. I was told then told they were fine and would pass an MOT. I was charged three hours labour for two springs I supplied so £147 inc VAT. They are agreeing to replace the bottom ones they threw away free of charge but want me to pay to replace the top ones they appear to have bodged / butchered
Here are the photos of the work.
First one shows the top and bottom mounts in place before the broken spring was replaced and the three following photos show the top mounts when put back on each side and the last shows the missing bottom mount after the spring was replaced.
I looked under the car the day after I picked it up as I heard a creak. On inspection it doesn’t look like they’ve replaced the rubber mounts properly or at all. The bottom ones are missing altogether. When I questioned it the other mechanic said they weren't there originally (again photo I took the day I left the car in show shows they were present and in good condition). Then he told me you didn’t need them, so why did Alfa put them on from new. No apology for throwing them away.
The top mounts have been bodged as is clear from the after photos. The Alfa Romeo specialist when I sent them the photos about part numbers for new ones said "they were worn but have been butchered or bodged putting them back in". I mentioned this to the mechanic who got triggered and said "you said I butchered them". Again I did not I simply said what the Alfa specialist had said when he saw the photographs. I did not accuse or make accusations against him or any of his employees.
I asked why the top ones weren’t changed if they were so worn as they are only £16 each and he had my mobile number and I'd have no issues with that. I was told then told they were fine and would pass an MOT. I was charged three hours labour for two springs I supplied so £147 inc VAT. They are agreeing to replace the bottom ones they threw away free of charge but want me to pay to replace the top ones they appear to have bodged / butchered
Here are the photos of the work.
First one shows the top and bottom mounts in place before the broken spring was replaced and the three following photos show the top mounts when put back on each side and the last shows the missing bottom mount after the spring was replaced.
Edited by sutoka on Friday 19th April 04:01
I'm not sure about your garage but my mechanic who looks after my fleet has fallen into a "got no money culture " and is attracting the wrong type of customer
Every job they do they assume that the customer wants it done as cheap as possible and this rubs off across the workshop
Tell your garage to stop dealing with facebook skankers and find quality customers who look after their cars and apricate value
Every job they do they assume that the customer wants it done as cheap as possible and this rubs off across the workshop
Tell your garage to stop dealing with facebook skankers and find quality customers who look after their cars and apricate value
jeremyh1 said:
I'm not sure about your garage but my mechanic who looks after my fleet has fallen into a "got no money culture " and is attracting the wrong type of customer
Every job they do they assume that the customer wants it done as cheap as possible and this rubs off across the workshop
Tell your garage to stop dealing with facebook skankers and find quality customers who look after their cars and apricate value
I get that, if you want every single part to be in perfect condition then buy a new car and if you start replacing everything on an 8 year old car then when do you stop. This guy was trusted and knows I'm not the "just do enough to get an MOT pass" type.Every job they do they assume that the customer wants it done as cheap as possible and this rubs off across the workshop
Tell your garage to stop dealing with facebook skankers and find quality customers who look after their cars and apricate value
I spend money on quality parts when needed, I could have bought a pair for £45 but went for Bilstein over double the price each.
Take it on the chin, get it sorted properly at another garage, don’t go there again.
Unfortunately (and I get why you did this as you want proper control over what goes on your car, and what you pay for it) taking your own parts to a garage often muddies things. It’s only tangentially relevant here, but it makes it harder to unpick all the he said she said.
I’ve been let down in the past, but I’ve found it’s more likely to be “specialists” with shiny shops.
Unfortunately (and I get why you did this as you want proper control over what goes on your car, and what you pay for it) taking your own parts to a garage often muddies things. It’s only tangentially relevant here, but it makes it harder to unpick all the he said she said.
I’ve been let down in the past, but I’ve found it’s more likely to be “specialists” with shiny shops.
That does look bad tbf. I had the struts apart on my own car last week to replace the top mounts & had to redo one when I noticed I'd reassembled it with the spring not seated into the spring pad correctly just like your pictures, so I suppose it's easily done but then again, I'm not a professional tech, taking your money.
In the end it comes down to whether you trust them to put things right or not. If not, you only really have one option, go somewhere else. Not a great situation but I hope you get sorted.
In the end it comes down to whether you trust them to put things right or not. If not, you only really have one option, go somewhere else. Not a great situation but I hope you get sorted.
Hard to tell...
But are the rubbers ripped in half or something ? perished ? gone ?
If they were knackered then the garage should have stated this and given you options
By all accounts if you've known them a long time, it should be reasonable to question this work and see how they respond. If there is a bunch of young lads working there, maybe the owner isn't supervising correctly and just isn't seeing what's going on.
But are the rubbers ripped in half or something ? perished ? gone ?
If they were knackered then the garage should have stated this and given you options
By all accounts if you've known them a long time, it should be reasonable to question this work and see how they respond. If there is a bunch of young lads working there, maybe the owner isn't supervising correctly and just isn't seeing what's going on.
123DWA said:
jeremyh1 said:
Tell your garage to stop dealing with facebook skankers and find quality customers who look after their cars and apricate value
As somebody who runs a workshop, can you tell me where to find these customers please 
Thats really not acceptable.
I once had a respected local garage do some dampers on my dads merc, they left the old parts in the boot and when i looked at them there were some bump stops in there, something id not supplied so knew they had left them out.
Took it back and got them to do the job again, to be fair no problems from the owner.
Those rubbers can be tricky to buy locally so id try and order them yourself beforehand, quite often we forget about things like this.
I once had a respected local garage do some dampers on my dads merc, they left the old parts in the boot and when i looked at them there were some bump stops in there, something id not supplied so knew they had left them out.
Took it back and got them to do the job again, to be fair no problems from the owner.
Those rubbers can be tricky to buy locally so id try and order them yourself beforehand, quite often we forget about things like this.
Jaz2000 said:
Its no excuse but the garage probably wanted the job finished and the ramp freed up instead of waiting for the correct parts to be delivered.
Can understand the quick turnover if he charged me an hours labour. The fact he had my mobile number, knows I live a mile down the road, charged me three hours labour and then argued the job was done right and he saw nothing wrong with the butchered and bodged top mounts. I honestly can't accept that.Belle427 said:
Thats really not acceptable.
I once had a respected local garage do some dampers on my dads merc, they left the old parts in the boot and when i looked at them there were some bump stops in there, something id not supplied so knew they had left them out.
Took it back and got them to do the job again, to be fair no problems from the owner.
Those rubbers can be tricky to buy locally so id try and order them yourself beforehand, quite often we forget about things like this.
Yea the owner sorted it, accepted their mistake and out things right. The problem I have is the owner has said he sees nothing wrong with them. He even said " when the spring breaks the rubbers fly off anyway". This was before I showed a photograph I'd taken that morning. His colleague even tried to say the bottom ones weren't there, again I showed the photo showing them gripping the spring top and bottom I'd taken that morning. Then he said " sure they are fine without them, ok so why do Alfa put them on in the first place. Honestly it was like talking to a brick wall.I once had a respected local garage do some dampers on my dads merc, they left the old parts in the boot and when i looked at them there were some bump stops in there, something id not supplied so knew they had left them out.
Took it back and got them to do the job again, to be fair no problems from the owner.
Those rubbers can be tricky to buy locally so id try and order them yourself beforehand, quite often we forget about things like this.
He said they were worn, maybe so but they gripped the spring both sides before he took them off, butchered them putting them back on and the things are ripped and hanging out.
stevieturbo said:
Hard to tell...
But are the rubbers ripped in half or something ? perished ? gone ?
If they were knackered then the garage should have stated this and given you options
By all accounts if you've known them a long time, it should be reasonable to question this work and see how they respond. If there is a bunch of young lads working there, maybe the owner isn't supervising correctly and just isn't seeing what's going on.
Yea the top photo shows them on with the broken spring, so they gripped and fuctioned. He took them off , binned the bottom ones and didn't put any on and bodged the top ones. He tried to say, they don't grip because they were worn, but they don't grip because they ripped the hell out of them and didn't bother putting them on right or in the case of the bottom ones , not at all.But are the rubbers ripped in half or something ? perished ? gone ?
If they were knackered then the garage should have stated this and given you options
By all accounts if you've known them a long time, it should be reasonable to question this work and see how they respond. If there is a bunch of young lads working there, maybe the owner isn't supervising correctly and just isn't seeing what's going on.
I can see both sides of this as an ex garage owner, if a customer supplies parts and tells you to fit them, then thats what you do, they will be making less on the job than if they supplied the parts.
That said, they should have told you about the extra parts needed, but as said maybe they just wanted it of the ramp , didnt want to wait for new parts to be delivered etc.
What you should have supplied was all the parts needed, you can see in the pics that the mounts arent great.
What they should have done is maybe fit just the springs without the mounts and told you new ones were needed. They arent going to leave it on the ramp in bits and wait..
I used to hate when customers supplied parts, they often wouldnt fit, and you are making nothing on parts.
Neither is great solution.
That said, they should have told you about the extra parts needed, but as said maybe they just wanted it of the ramp , didnt want to wait for new parts to be delivered etc.
What you should have supplied was all the parts needed, you can see in the pics that the mounts arent great.
What they should have done is maybe fit just the springs without the mounts and told you new ones were needed. They arent going to leave it on the ramp in bits and wait..
I used to hate when customers supplied parts, they often wouldnt fit, and you are making nothing on parts.
Neither is great solution.
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