Advice Needed for Car Repair

Ash-Say on 21/12/2015 - 18:10
Last edited 21/12/2015 - 18:24 by 1 other user

My car had engine oil leaking. I took it to a mechanic who advised that the rocker cover gasket replacement will fix this issue. He did not go under the car at any stage to find if there was any other leakage source. I confirmed with again that only this replacement was required and then I proceed with repair. He started taking off cover in front of me. He broke both cam position sensors which were installed next to front coils due to his attempt to forcefully take off cover. He told me they were already broken and therefore they had come off. He quoted me $220 for used sensors and $230 for gasket replacement. He asked for $250 deposit to purchase sensors which I gave (my biggest mistake). I trusted him because he did engine oil service of my car 4 months ago and I found him reliable.

It was already late in the afternoon so I left car with him as he needed to purchase sensors. He rang me next day to confirm the car was ready and everything was ok with it. When I did test drive, I found that the car was misfiring and he claimed that it could be because of sensors installed by him. He recommended to install brand new sensor and also change coil cables which will cost around $700. I told him that he broke my car as I gave car in normal condition with misfire. He argued that it was an old car so repair of one part could lead to failure of other part which I find absurd. After lot of argument he let me took car as I need to think about sensor and I told him I would pay the remaining money when I come to fix misfiring car.

When I checked car after 10 hours next day, the oil leakage was same as before. When I told mechanic he advised that it could be oil sump or rear main seal. Remember he confirmed that the car was perfect and he also did test drive. It is clearly evident that he did not test drive otherwise he would have picked misfiring and he did not bother going under the car after gasket replacement to ensure there was no further leakage.

When I claimed refund of my money as I was left with vibrating car and oil leakage was not fixed, he is going in circles and also demanding $200 for sensor replacement.

I want your advice what I could do to resolve this matter. He broke sensor so I understand he should be liable for this repair. I paid him for oil leakage repair which he understood to be gasket however it was not. The leakage is still there. He is continually sending messages and demanding $200. I feel I have already been robbed of $250 which I admit was my mistake to hand over.

For your reference, I am yet to receive fully itemised Tax Invoice however some investigation reveals that gasket replacement cost $150 including parts however his supplier has made an invoice of $80 just for gasket.

Please assist.

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  smpantsonfire on 21/12/2015 - 18:51

  +2

  $220 for used cam shaft sensors? Go to another mechanic. Take the loss and move on IMO.

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  RockyRaccoon on 21/12/2015 - 19:06

  http://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au

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  oscargamer on 21/12/2015 - 19:30

  if you have paid money for a service, he is required to provide a receipt

  get that first and see what it says and go from there

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    Neilzy on 22/12/2015 - 01:32

    I'm pretty sure his refusal of receipt /invoice is to deny ownership of his shonky work, rather than hiding money from the ATO. He's trying to make it harder for the OP to prove that he had worked on the car and broke something in the process.

    • 

      oscargamer on 22/12/2015 - 08:25

      i didn't say he is hiding money from the ATO, i'm saying the OP should threaten to report him to the ATO. they have huge powers and the mechanic would know that

      • 

        Neilzy on 22/12/2015 - 09:32

        Yes the ATO has huge powers but they are not in the industry of dispute resolution and have bigger fish to fry, they may or may not pursue the mechanic but it wont be immediate and it does not benefit the OP's case. Op should contact Consumer Affairs in his or her state and take it from there. its the surest way to obtaining an outcome to this dispute.

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  Ash-Say on 21/12/2015 - 20:11

  Update: The mechanic has refused to provide tax invoice for sensors and his work. At the same time he has also advised that he no longer need $200.

  I have still incurred loss of $250 for a repair which appears to be not required in first place.

  Should I suck up this loss and move on or chase refund of $250?

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  oscargamer on 21/12/2015 - 20:17

  he MUST give you a receipt

  how you actually get that out of him i don't know

  one very strong tactic is to threaten to report him to the ATO for tax evasion - some very famous people have become unstuck on that path!

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  doctordv8 on 21/12/2015 - 20:19

  +3

  It is time to join NRMA, tell them everything, show the paperwork, all of it, and the car and let their legal team sort it out. You need to get a new workshop as this story has too many less than good workmanship telltales, and half way through, no, after your 3rd sentence I knew where you were going. In 40 years of doctoring cars, I would never never never state exactly where an oil leak was coming from unless I inspected the vehicle properly, usually involving cleaning and a few checks after set klm's.

  There is a right way, and a wrong way, and 100% of the time a correct diagnosis is only made possible after doing the checks the right way. Going the wrong way, means you are guessing the fault, a diagnosis that is only correct a small % of the time, as was the case here. Did he even ask you if oil was spilt recently from a top up perhaps? Has the enging had any work in last 12months and or 10-20000k? So many questions not in your story, I can only asume you know little in this department, and he possibly took advantage of you or he is very poorly performing diagnosis of issues.

  Either way, get all you invoices, quotes, corrospondence and tell him you are disputing the costs and workmanship, and will be going elswhere for a 2nd opinion. Once you have legal advise after they have inspected every piece of information, not just what you have told us here, a decision hopefully in your favour will be given. I would shoot myself in the foot treating a customer the way you have been treated. I apologise on behalf of us honest mechanics to you and to everyone that has been unfairly treated, except and SAAB and Holdens, I still don't like them, lol.

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    Ash-Say on 21/12/2015 - 20:33

    I know minimal about car and probably he took advantage.

    He never asked me any questions about previous history and assusmed gasket replacement would fix issue to which I agreed (my mistake I admit).

    I paid cash so not sure how can I dispute it. I would not have even bothered about anything I has asked credit card.

    • 

      oscargamer on 21/12/2015 - 20:45

      +2

      read my post

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        mmd on 22/12/2015 - 00:31

        +1 Threatening to report him to the ATO would most likely be more effective, than trheatening to report him to the police.

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  Neilzy on 22/12/2015 - 01:23

  Heres a link to Consumer Affairs Vic re dodgy vehicle repairs:

  https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/motor-cars/maintenance-and-r…

  And heres VACCs link:

  http://www.vacc.com.au/Initiatives/Unlicensed-traders

  Good luck

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  Kranbone on 22/12/2015 - 01:54

  Hope the mechanic you used had some form of license (or liability insurance).

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  sleepy120 on 22/12/2015 - 23:47

  leave a review on google maps for others to see.