hope you paid by credit card then any subsequent issues they should have fixed would be covered by consumer credit !

Hi

Fistly I would talk to the trading standards again...i would also defo look at smalls claim court...they will see it in your favour no questions asked...small claims dont like hooky garages.

Like someone else mentioned whenever a car is overheating you must always start at the easy things ie Pressure cap...I teach Audi/VW apprentices and paramount in my job to create a decent technician is to get them to start simple....creates cracking customer satisfaction and right first time fixes

i also seen nobody mentioned the old ford cookie of an "airlock"...especially when the head has just been change...normally garages will fit a head gasket and top up water fit cap and leave it....when you should keep the rad cap off till the stat opens and the fan cuts in...you will normally see the water drop as its getting rid of the air in the system, top up with coolant and airlock gone....garages play sneaky moves changing a part to make out something was at fault..when it wasnt.

This advice is for anyone taking a car to a garage and I will use this as thread as a cracking example...if they ring you to tell you that the head gasket needs changing then tell them to stop work as you want to visit the garage for them to show you where the headgasket has gone...and if they say the head needs skimming ask for a full explanation why...the head should be warped for it to need skimming a straight edge would confirm this. put it across the head surface any gaps it needs a skim....alot of garages use this technique to make more money....then I suppose you got stitched with stretch bolts for the cylinder head...these can be used once more after being removed so if your mileage is on 50k and the head has never been off before then the head bolts can be used one more time with no worries.

Like mentioned trading standards..Small claims....and if my memory serves me correct if they do a repair that doesnt fix the problem then they should refit the old parts if this is not possible ie head skim/gasket all you need to pay for is the price of the skim and the gasket not the labour...their mis diagnosis is at fault not you....Mr/Mrs Layman

Hope this helps

Thank you everyone, but for me it is to late this garage have well and truly mucked up my car. Even now the engine sounds as if it wants to stall, when my lights are on the engine runs rougher and when I rev the car my headlights flicker :(

Whatever the garage did I don't think I will trust my car again to travel distances :(

I have rung Trading Standards again, they logged the further complaint, incase there have been other negative issues against this garage.

As for the small claims court I would love to take them to court, but unfortunately finances will not allow that at the moment.

I feel sorry for anyone else that has the misfortune to go to this garage and I wish there was a way to warn people!!!

DO NOT EVER USE BEDFONT MOT CENTRE...