Think a garage just tried to shaft me..??
Discussion
I popped into my local Nissan garage the other day for a couple of bits and was informed that I needed to come back for a couple of safety recalls on my 2005 Navara. So I booked it in and brought it back on Thursday, where there checked the alloy wheels for hairline cracks, and re-timed the airbag deploy time slightly.
I collect the truck that evening and all was well until I noticed over the weekend that it had started to drip oil on the drive. On closer inspection, it had also covered the trailer I'd towed on Saturday morning with ATF, and the whole underside of the truck was wet with oil.
Being a bit of a home mechanic, I got under the car and cleaned up the offending area to look for the exact source of the leak and found that it had been leaking (quite quickly) from the gasket on the transfer case behind the gearbox. Whilst cleaning it up though, I noticed that quite high up on the transfer case (and immediately above the leak), was one of the bolts sticking out by around 2-3mm. Now I've seen bolts come loose before, but this truck is 6 years old and has had zero faults and has never dripped a single drop of oil previously. I found it quite ironic that I take the truck in for a couple of minor checks and all of a sudden this bolt unscrews its self, causing a pretty major fluid leak.
Now I may be being cynical, but does this sound to you like the garage is trying to create some work for its self? I took the truck back in this morning and explained what I thought was going on (nicely) and they agreed to take a look at it and appeared dumbfounded but perhaps slightly sheepish. I just got a call to say that the truck is sorted and there is no charge 'other than the £29 for replacement ATF fluid'.
I sort of want to argue and tell them where to shove the £29 charge, but I don't think I can really prove anything and will have to just stop using the garage. What would you lot do?
I collect the truck that evening and all was well until I noticed over the weekend that it had started to drip oil on the drive. On closer inspection, it had also covered the trailer I'd towed on Saturday morning with ATF, and the whole underside of the truck was wet with oil.
Being a bit of a home mechanic, I got under the car and cleaned up the offending area to look for the exact source of the leak and found that it had been leaking (quite quickly) from the gasket on the transfer case behind the gearbox. Whilst cleaning it up though, I noticed that quite high up on the transfer case (and immediately above the leak), was one of the bolts sticking out by around 2-3mm. Now I've seen bolts come loose before, but this truck is 6 years old and has had zero faults and has never dripped a single drop of oil previously. I found it quite ironic that I take the truck in for a couple of minor checks and all of a sudden this bolt unscrews its self, causing a pretty major fluid leak.
Now I may be being cynical, but does this sound to you like the garage is trying to create some work for its self? I took the truck back in this morning and explained what I thought was going on (nicely) and they agreed to take a look at it and appeared dumbfounded but perhaps slightly sheepish. I just got a call to say that the truck is sorted and there is no charge 'other than the £29 for replacement ATF fluid'.
I sort of want to argue and tell them where to shove the £29 charge, but I don't think I can really prove anything and will have to just stop using the garage. What would you lot do?
Edited by 450Nick on Monday 4th July 11:28
redgriff500 said:
I would doubt its a garage creating work.
I suspect the trainee loosened the wrong bolt by mistake.
But this is exactly why I won't let main dealers etc work on my cars - there is usually only one or two guys who know what they are doing - the rest are "fitters"
Usually I would agree with this, but the only thing the truck had gone in for was to check the wheels for cracks as they have a safety recall, and retiming the airbag which is a laptop type job. So they should have been nowhere near the transfer case, let alone under the car!I suspect the trainee loosened the wrong bolt by mistake.
But this is exactly why I won't let main dealers etc work on my cars - there is usually only one or two guys who know what they are doing - the rest are "fitters"
Hmm, the kind natured person in me says that it was probably a coincidence and I shouldn't complain but the fact they've charged me no labour just makes me think that they are admitting that it was probably them (mistake or not). So I think its a bit ripe charging me for the fluid as well...
I don't quite understand how your first assumption is that the garage have done this to create more work?
Strange accusation,.
It was probably just down to negligence and fair enough they are sorting it for free - bar the cost of the ATF oil.
If they were trying to stitch you up, they would have surely notified you of an oil leak instead of causing a massive issue further down the line. If you junked all your oil somewhere on your travels there is no guarantee that you would take your car back to them.
By all means, get them to chuck in the £29 oil for free if you are sure they caused the issue.
Strange accusation,.
It was probably just down to negligence and fair enough they are sorting it for free - bar the cost of the ATF oil.
If they were trying to stitch you up, they would have surely notified you of an oil leak instead of causing a massive issue further down the line. If you junked all your oil somewhere on your travels there is no guarantee that you would take your car back to them.
By all means, get them to chuck in the £29 oil for free if you are sure they caused the issue.
Hmm, I wouldn't say I've got carried away with it... I've spoken to them and they agreed that its likely that they made a mistake in their workshop but cannot be sure. I paid the oil price as I also cannot be sure, and all is well. It still seems very odd that it happened in the first place but I guess I'll just have to check the car over carefully before I take it in next time!
The thing is Nick, I think the garage have bent over backwards to show you how considerate to customers they are. They've been nowhere near the source of the fluid leak but are willing to help you despite you charmingly accusing them of attempted robbery. Sounds to me like these guys care as the only other alternative is they did it on purpose as you think, which seems rather unbelievable.
This is true, and I may be totally wrong in accusing them, but if the bolt was to come loose on it's own, the joint would weep slowly as it undid. And I've been under the car recently and seen no oil. Plus I would have noticed spots of oil under it. In this case though it went from nothing to a very big leak in no time at all, and started the night I brought it back from the garage.
Slade Alive said:
The thing is Nick, I think the garage have bent over backwards to show you how considerate to customers they are. They've been nowhere near the source of the fluid leak but are willing to help you despite you charmingly accusing them of attempted robbery. Sounds to me like these guys care as the only other alternative is they did it on purpose as you think, which seems rather unbelievable.
Don't you get it? ALL Dealers are scum bags that murder children in between sabbotaging cars! A PHer is NEVER wrong 
I'd be asking why they never noticed a bloody great oil leak from the diff housing myself.
If it was that bad they should have noticed it when on the ramp.
Not like its tucked away under shields and things now is it?
Mate of mine had one of these and has had nothing but trouble with it, main stealer messed up doing wheel bearings 2 or 3 times. As one of the above posters said, there are usually 1 or 2 good tech's in a dealer - the rest trainee's or apprentices. Might as well go to a McD's drive through for an oil change in some places. I know - Ive seen some of the rubbish that gets accepted only to be got rid of a few years later when they have proved themselves useless..
If it was that bad they should have noticed it when on the ramp.
Not like its tucked away under shields and things now is it?
Mate of mine had one of these and has had nothing but trouble with it, main stealer messed up doing wheel bearings 2 or 3 times. As one of the above posters said, there are usually 1 or 2 good tech's in a dealer - the rest trainee's or apprentices. Might as well go to a McD's drive through for an oil change in some places. I know - Ive seen some of the rubbish that gets accepted only to be got rid of a few years later when they have proved themselves useless..
Rich_W said:
Slade Alive said:
The thing is Nick, I think the garage have bent over backwards to show you how considerate to customers they are. They've been nowhere near the source of the fluid leak but are willing to help you despite you charmingly accusing them of attempted robbery. Sounds to me like these guys care as the only other alternative is they did it on purpose as you think, which seems rather unbelievable.
Don't you get it? ALL Dealers are scum bags that murder children in between sabbotaging cars! A PHer is NEVER wrong With these feet said:
there are usually 1 or 2 good tech's in a dealer - the rest trainee's or apprentices. Might as well go to a McD's drive through for an oil change in some places. I know - Ive seen some of the rubbish that gets accepted only to be got rid of a few years later when they have proved themselves useless..
Widespread gossip doing the rounds for years. Makes me wonder why dealers bother training up apprentices if we all know they're useless. Suggests a huge amount of those using main dealers must be stupid or don't buy it.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff