Recently I asked some questions on here regarding a breakdown I had. Helpful replies. Massive Coolant loss required a £180 tow home from RAC. As I couldn't drive the motor, I booked it into an auto garage literally 3 doors away from my house, though I was very dubious about their reputation. As they didn't look at the car the day they said they would, and I had slept on it and felt uneasy about them, I decided to bite the bullet have it towed (£70) to another garage 3 miles away that I had used before satisfactorily, in fact I liked them. They booked me in a phoned me with findings. Coolant loss due to the gasket failing on Thermostat housing. I was extremely concerned that the overheating breakdown may have caused damage elsewhere. I instructed them to replace the thermostat and housing and to change the timing belt which was way overdue. The next day all was done and I picked up the car.

Immediately I knew something was amiss. The car at idle was very lumpy. I phoned them and they said, ah yes, we noticed that but forgot to mention to me! I ran it for a day very tentatively and they said if it doesn't get better, to bring it back. So I did. I asked them again, "are you sure you set the timing correctly?" and received the answer, "Steve, we do thousands of timing belts." They they changed the PCV, positive crankcase vent valve, but this did not solve the rough idle problem. They admitted that any further investigation was potentially a long process and they were not really set up to investigate as this was not their speciality. They did not charge me for the labour or PCV valve and was left with a car I could not trust.

Reluctantly I booked it into Ford. For which I had to wait nearly 3 weeks for them to look at it (covid). 3 weeks where I couldn't really use the car as I couldn't trust it. They had booked me for a diagnostic, £150 fixed price. It then took Ford another 4 days to look at the car due to backlog. Next day they rang me. Car all done, I could pick it up. Problem...the timing belt had been fitted incorrectly, 2 teeth out on the cog! I was gobsmacked! A mechanical basic. Ford told me they re-time many belts incorrectly fitted by independents. Ford charged me £125+vat to refit the belt and did not charge for the diagnostic.

I emailed the previous garage, rather than phoning, not trusting myself not to loose it and shout at them. So the email was reasonable. They had fitted the belt incorrectly, despite telling me they had checked it twice and Ford had charged me £150 to correct it. To their credit, I suppose, she immediately rang me and reimbursed the £150. No apology mind. Moral of the story...I have no idea really. If they had fitted the belt correctly, not difficult, I would still have trusted them and they would have been my go to garage, but not anymore!

£400 is alot for a Mk1, still, I just spent £200 on a heater matrix issue on my Mk2, so feel your pain. That's a disgrace having that belt fitted incorrectly, but at least they did refund you - many garages would have held their ground and kept your money. So not a terrible result! At least you should have a more reliable ride now with a major service item out of the way for while...

From experience main dealers cheaper in long run especially with full service history. Anything goes wrong manufacturers honor warranties better without quibble. You may save a few bob going independent till you get a problem then you don't get good will gesture.  

Thanks for coming back and letting us know how you got on.

Many disappear into the wild blue yonder leaving us wondering what happened.

Good work,

ScaniaPBman.

58 minutes ago, Shimmers said:

I have no idea really. If they had fitted the belt correctly, not difficult, I would still have trusted them and they would have been my go to garage, but not anymore!

Many years ago, my regular garage once did a service and changed the inline fuel filter (old car) but forgot to clamp the ends of the hoses (just pushed fitted it together). When I got home and exited the car, I smelt an overpowering smell of petrol and looked behind me to see a trail of petrol down the road back to my car so immediately knew something was leaking.

Back to the garage (5 mile drive) and they immediately knew what was wrong, fixed it and gave me about £30 for any lost petrol and the inconvenience.

I don't expect "trades" to be perfect but I do expect them to own up to the problem if one occurs. I stayed with that garage for many years after that and never had another problem with them

Good garages are hard to find so I tend to ignore the rare mistake here and there if I find one. (As long as they own up to it) 

Looking back at the incident, it was pretty stupid of me to drive the car back to the garage with a leaking fuel filter but I was young and dumb at the time and needed my car that weekend to impress the birds. (As we used to call them back then).

1 hour ago, Shimmers said:

I asked them again, "are you sure you set the timing correctly?" and received the answer, "Steve, we do thousands of timing belts."

I hate this phrase, it usually goes along with 'I've been doing this XX years'...

Both phrases mean 'I'm so complacent about my own ability that I regularly make basic mistakes'.