Hi all, we are at our wits end with a long running dispute with a garage and badly need help and advice.
My Dad took his ldv pilot to a garage with a suspected head gasket problem, they quoted £750, I wanted to look around for my dad but he needed his van for work and said ok. shortly after they said the head needs replacing I think because they said it had already been skimmed once. he got a replacement costing an additional £150. they took a little over a week and the van was collected and paid for in cash. a few days later dad noticed oil in the water, I think it was in the expansion bottle? he called them and they said don't worry it will just need flushing again, it was dew for an mot with them in a day or two so when it went in for the mot they flushed it, he got his van back. 2 days later oil seen again this time I think coming out of the expansion bottle. he called the garage they said don't worry probably just needs a last flush, bring it in to us sometime in the week. 2 days later the engine seized!!! it was recovered and taken back to the garage. we waited and waited to hear back about what they were going to do but we heard nothing, eventually they said it was a problem with the replacement head and the engine was dead, they said if we out a replacement engine they would fit if at a discounted price however dad had already paid £750 to them and 150 on a head = £900.
Later we contacted the parts people where we got the head, they said the head was fine. later when the garage was told we contacted the parts people they changed their mind and said the problem was not the head but there must be a hole in the engine lower down.
Dad contacted citizens advice who but him in contact with motorcodes, they have been useless and have given bad advice including telling us to let the garage inspect the engine, seemed stupid to us but with no where else to turn we allowed them to look at the engine.
the garage then told motorcodes their 3 excuse why the engine died and they said that dad had done 800 miles in 2 weeks and according to their paper work it did look like that despite the fact we knew he had not done anything like this, luckily the people who recovered the van the first time and the last time it was taken to the garage recorded the mileage and that showed that either the garage falsified document or made a mistake.
the van went off the road back in November and is dead, we have tried to deal with motorcodes but are getting no where, they either come up with stupid advice or for the past 2 months the person dealing with the case is off ill or on holiday and changes from a man to a women.
My dad is now 67, has had no van for just over 6 months, has lost out on work, had a hernia operation, has no internet and no help other than me, we are at a loss at to where we stand and what we can do , we thought about an AA/RAC inspection but they can only do that if the engine is running. The van was an old w reg and he has already paid more than the van was worth but that was because he expected it back quickly. where do we stand what can we do and who can help, the garage just seem to be waiting it out and hope we go away.
any advice/ help would be greatly appreciated, regards Adie, iow
My Dad took his ldv pilot to a garage with a suspected head gasket problem, they quoted £750, I wanted to look around for my dad but he needed his van for work and said ok. shortly after they said the head needs replacing I think because they said it had already been skimmed once. he got a replacement costing an additional £150. they took a little over a week and the van was collected and paid for in cash. a few days later dad noticed oil in the water, I think it was in the expansion bottle? he called them and they said don't worry it will just need flushing again, it was dew for an mot with them in a day or two so when it went in for the mot they flushed it, he got his van back. 2 days later oil seen again this time I think coming out of the expansion bottle. he called the garage they said don't worry probably just needs a last flush, bring it in to us sometime in the week. 2 days later the engine seized!!! it was recovered and taken back to the garage. we waited and waited to hear back about what they were going to do but we heard nothing, eventually they said it was a problem with the replacement head and the engine was dead, they said if we out a replacement engine they would fit if at a discounted price however dad had already paid £750 to them and 150 on a head = £900.
Later we contacted the parts people where we got the head, they said the head was fine. later when the garage was told we contacted the parts people they changed their mind and said the problem was not the head but there must be a hole in the engine lower down.
Dad contacted citizens advice who but him in contact with motorcodes, they have been useless and have given bad advice including telling us to let the garage inspect the engine, seemed stupid to us but with no where else to turn we allowed them to look at the engine.
the garage then told motorcodes their 3 excuse why the engine died and they said that dad had done 800 miles in 2 weeks and according to their paper work it did look like that despite the fact we knew he had not done anything like this, luckily the people who recovered the van the first time and the last time it was taken to the garage recorded the mileage and that showed that either the garage falsified document or made a mistake.
the van went off the road back in November and is dead, we have tried to deal with motorcodes but are getting no where, they either come up with stupid advice or for the past 2 months the person dealing with the case is off ill or on holiday and changes from a man to a women.
My dad is now 67, has had no van for just over 6 months, has lost out on work, had a hernia operation, has no internet and no help other than me, we are at a loss at to where we stand and what we can do , we thought about an AA/RAC inspection but they can only do that if the engine is running. The van was an old w reg and he has already paid more than the van was worth but that was because he expected it back quickly. where do we stand what can we do and who can help, the garage just seem to be waiting it out and hope we go away.
any advice/ help would be greatly appreciated, regards Adie, iow
