Faulty work done by garage ended up in my car being broken?
07-08-10, 10:44 AM
#1
Faulty work done by garage ended up in my car being broken?
K let me back up a few weeks before what happened last night. I was down at one of the alignment shops in town to get the car realigned after I had a little incident that I had and required me to change both my lower control arms, and a few other parts down there.
Well when I first get there, I explain to them that everything needs to be adjusted (camber, caster, and toe). The first guy that did most of the work, was already giving up by just looking at it thought. Its not there regular just easy toe adjustment so they don't like it. We set camber, that was fine and easy as pie, then came the caster... well the guy didn't know how to align the bolt properly each time to toss it in and check it, and took him forever each time, always wanting to just bang this, bang that, when you can just grad a screw driver and line it up in 30 seconds. I had asked for 5.5* of caster but the guy went 6* because he was already there and said close enough, and me having been there already for about an hour and a quarter I was getting a bit impatient with this whole thing taking so damn long for him to do. We get to the toe adjustment, and the guy just gives up and another guy come in to do it.
Well after all this, because that guy took so long I had to pay alot more money since it took him forever than just a basic alignment cost.
Fast forward to last night, I'm just getting off the gym at 3am after having already worked 12 hours straight, I went to drive off back home and as I do, I hit one of the pot holes in that lot, and pop comes out the bolt out of the arm that hold the caster of the lower control arm in properly. Well that resulted in a bent fender, bent lower control arm, bent sway bar end link, and the first few threads on the rear lower control arm to be stripped out. (Now for people trying to figure the part that I'm talking about its, not a stock part, its part of the RE-Speed rack and pinion kit for the FB)
So my question is, would it not be right that they should be paying for this? I took the car in for service there on the 28th of June. If the caster had been set to that 5.5* that would of meant that bolt was further in on that arm and resulting in more than just 2 threads left, maybe 5-6 instead.
Any insight on this would greatly be appreciated.
Well when I first get there, I explain to them that everything needs to be adjusted (camber, caster, and toe). The first guy that did most of the work, was already giving up by just looking at it thought. Its not there regular just easy toe adjustment so they don't like it. We set camber, that was fine and easy as pie, then came the caster... well the guy didn't know how to align the bolt properly each time to toss it in and check it, and took him forever each time, always wanting to just bang this, bang that, when you can just grad a screw driver and line it up in 30 seconds. I had asked for 5.5* of caster but the guy went 6* because he was already there and said close enough, and me having been there already for about an hour and a quarter I was getting a bit impatient with this whole thing taking so damn long for him to do. We get to the toe adjustment, and the guy just gives up and another guy come in to do it.
Well after all this, because that guy took so long I had to pay alot more money since it took him forever than just a basic alignment cost.
Fast forward to last night, I'm just getting off the gym at 3am after having already worked 12 hours straight, I went to drive off back home and as I do, I hit one of the pot holes in that lot, and pop comes out the bolt out of the arm that hold the caster of the lower control arm in properly. Well that resulted in a bent fender, bent lower control arm, bent sway bar end link, and the first few threads on the rear lower control arm to be stripped out. (Now for people trying to figure the part that I'm talking about its, not a stock part, its part of the RE-Speed rack and pinion kit for the FB)
So my question is, would it not be right that they should be paying for this? I took the car in for service there on the 28th of June. If the caster had been set to that 5.5* that would of meant that bolt was further in on that arm and resulting in more than just 2 threads left, maybe 5-6 instead.
Any insight on this would greatly be appreciated.
07-08-10, 11:15 AM
#2
So it popped the clevis joint out of the new respeed rear control arm?
Shity deals.
I would say you are on your own since you picked up the car, paid for the service, and were aware that the caster was not set to your specification.
If you had a problem, it should have been resolved before you picked up the car and continued to drive it as normal.
What really sucks with the whole issue is that the alignment settings were chosen by you and are not factory settings, as well as having suspension that is not factory either.
Usually an alignment shop will make you sign a waiver if the car is adjusted to customer specs.
I wouldnt expect re-imbursement unless the car was 100% stock set to 100% stock settings.
Even then its a toss up...
Its a crappy situation for sure, but I dont think you can really "blame" the shop.
At least maybe this will save some other people from the same problem...
(im putting together my respeed steering together right now, Ill definately be keeping an eye on this)
Wish you the best of luck with the repairs. Hope its not too much trouble..
Shity deals.
I would say you are on your own since you picked up the car, paid for the service, and were aware that the caster was not set to your specification.
If you had a problem, it should have been resolved before you picked up the car and continued to drive it as normal.
What really sucks with the whole issue is that the alignment settings were chosen by you and are not factory settings, as well as having suspension that is not factory either.
Usually an alignment shop will make you sign a waiver if the car is adjusted to customer specs.
I wouldnt expect re-imbursement unless the car was 100% stock set to 100% stock settings.
Even then its a toss up...
Its a crappy situation for sure, but I dont think you can really "blame" the shop.
At least maybe this will save some other people from the same problem...
(im putting together my respeed steering together right now, Ill definately be keeping an eye on this)
Wish you the best of luck with the repairs. Hope its not too much trouble..
07-08-10, 11:39 AM
#3
Displacement Replacement
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Luckily it happened in a parking lot and not going down the road at speed.
I'd ask scrappy doo, they should be responsible for the safety of their work.
I would just play dumb, and raise a stink
as far as you know the parts they worked on last fell apart damaging your car. and go from there
I hate mechanics, i don't trust them at all. the majority of the time they do a crappy as job because they figure the people won't notice it
I usually will only go to big name places if i do need an alignment, like Muffler man or even crappy tire if im desperate. if they mess anything up, they will do the right thing. they have to protect the name of the franchise.
I'd ask scrappy doo, they should be responsible for the safety of their work.
I would just play dumb, and raise a stink
as far as you know the parts they worked on last fell apart damaging your car. and go from there
I hate mechanics, i don't trust them at all. the majority of the time they do a crappy as job because they figure the people won't notice it
I usually will only go to big name places if i do need an alignment, like Muffler man or even crappy tire if im desperate. if they mess anything up, they will do the right thing. they have to protect the name of the franchise.
07-22-10, 12:33 PM
#7
Rotorite
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I would certainly approach them - this was a safety issue - nothing to do with stock settings or custom suspension. If they didn't think they could do the work, then they should have said so at the outset. Once they accepted the work and your money, they are definitely responsible for the safe assembly of your car.
