Hi guys,
I have an angry woman blaming me for destroying her perfectly working car, so I am after an advice what to do next.
Long story short, totally perfect car doesn't start properly after the logbook service done by a local mechanic.
Background
3 weeks ago, I decided it is time to service missus’s 2018 Toyota Yaris (I don’t drive this car at all).
The car ran perfectly with zero issues before the service and as per the log-book service includes all basic stuff + brake fluid change + in-tank filter replacement. I checked the official service, and it was $600. The ozbargainer inside me said “hmm. Let’s check local mechanics especially given that is just a Yaris not a French/Italian car and there is nothing fancy with this service”. Done deal!
I opened google maps and found a local mechanic service with a 4.8 star review. What could possibly go wrong?
I rang them and told them that what all I want to be done is a standard 4y/80K logbook, I especially highlighted about the brake fluid change and the in-tank filter.
Here was the first red flag, because the dude didn’t sound that confident and started saying “well I have to check… but yes we can do it” when I asked about the filter. We agreed on $460.
The second red flag was on the day I brought the car to them, the manager gave me the working order to sign, I noticed and pointed that the filter replacement is not listed in the works, he assured me that he has to check first and he is going to replace it, so I left the car and went back to work.
The dude gave me a call 2-3 hours later, saying that everything is good, the car is mechanically perfect and the battery was in average condition and I shouldn’t worry at all.
When I was collecting car later the cost jumped from $460 to $590 as I found that he included the in-tank filter replacement on top of the agreed cost (he never called me about this cost change). I swallow this pill and quietly paid $590 as I normally prefer to avoid scandals and quickly decided that I was an idiot signing the order without this work listed.
As it turned out later, these extra $130 is nothing in comparison with the troubles I am experiencing now after this service.
Anyway, I collected the car, in the hindsight I remember the car cranked longer when usual but I didn’t pay attention because I thought it is temporary because of the new oil/ filters.
Next day my missus complained me that the car cranked too long before started (not always but especially in the morning and after several hours parked), of course I happily ignored her complaints and blamed her imagination. She kept complaining about this occasional problem for several days and I suddenly recollected that the dude mentioned “average” battery so I decided maybe he was too optimistic about its condition so I changed the battery several days after the services, as you can guess, it didn’t resolve the problem. The car still started cranking a bit longer than before.
Today she came back home after school drop off nearly screaming that she could even start it from the first attempt. We went to the mechanic and told him that after his service the car stopped starting and it is getting. He took it to the workshop for 10 mins and returned it saying that everything is good, we shouldn't have replaced the battey as the old one was good enough and if we have any problem, we can bring it back to him.
What is my best course of action in this situation?
Option 1. Missus insists that we need to bring to Toyota official service and let them check everything including the work on the in-tank filter done by the local mechanic and it if it shows that something wasn’t done properly (e.g. the intank filter) then we will go back to them and ask at least for a refund.
Option 2 is to bring it back to him and let him fix the problem. However, I can see a risk that they must fix the omission (if any) and started blaming another random part of the car for that, so I won’t be able to prove that they did something wrong.
with either option I think we should start to communicate in writing with the mechanic as it has been all verbal/in person communication.
Thank you.
** to provide more context to the story**
1. This car mechanic service is a Repco Authorised Car Service and relatively big not a 1-car garage with a dude hanging around.
2. I did my research to find out what the mechanic could do wrong by googling "yaris cranks but doesn't start after fuel filter replacement" and it appears to be a relatively common problem (for DIYers though) because it shall be assembled properly as (I am simplifying) it's c/w an o-ring between the 2 parts and if not installed back properly fuel drains back to the tank i.e. the fuel line doesn't hold pressure while the car is parked due to air ingress or something like that.
Official 600.
Local mechanic 590.
Technically, you can push and argue that the local mechanic did something dodgy. But that's a lot of willpower. Against the mechanic and your other half.
Choice is clear imo