Hi,

Since buying an old ST170 6 months ago to restore I thought it would not be so much hassle to have the work done at various local garages. Maybe it is just bad luck but I have had some terrible workmanship performed or just straight up ripped off many times. I live in Southend Essex so maybe it is just a local issue or has anyone else experienced what seems to be general bad practice everywhere? Here is my experience so far.... names of mechanics not included but I will name names if requested.

Bought car that had trouble starting so asked a local mobile mechanic (mechanic #1) to check it out. he diagnosed a weeping head gasket and quoted me £700 to have head skimmed etc which I agreed to have done. On completion I ran the car for 70 miles then had tapping coming from the head. Mechanic was not interested and told me to run it in more as he had apparently not done up all the bolts properly so to allow everything to fall into place before he would then tighten everything up. After 400 miles the engine went boom and pieces of spark plug were found in the intake manifold. Cam belt was not fitted correctly, engine is history. Mechanic blamed me for not running it in properly.

Time for a new engine so off to another mechanic who worked next door to the engine supplier so very convenient. I asked them to check the new engine over and replace the cambelt, water pump etc. They took 2 months to fit the engine and did not replace the parts I requested stating they did not remember my request. The engine did not run properly so I asked the engine supplier to confirm for me the engine source where I got a load of verbal abuse and threats in return. After moaning lots they eventually looked at the engine again and fixed the throttle line which was bodged. Onto the MOT next day and it overheated during emissions test because a spring clip was not done up properly on the water pipe going up to the matrix. Water all over the MOT station floor and head gasket leaking again.

Onto another mechanic # 3. Leaving the head alone for a moment I decide to work on the body by fitting new bearing, calipers and ventred discs. In she goes for bearing to be fitted to NS rear because that is where the noise is coming from. Instructed the mechanic to change that particular bearing. On completion he notified me that the driver side rear bearing was the one that needed replacing so replaced that one instead. While driving home I notice the bearing noise is still there so he was wrong to not go with my instructions.

Then mechanic # 4, please Mr Mechanic can you just do what I ask and replace the bearing! Ok I will do that for you sir, £100 for replacing one bearing minus parts please. WTF! no way, settled on £40 which is should be for an hours work.

Mechanic # 5. Lets change the brake discs. Up on the ramp she goes then a phone call telling me that the caliper front left is seized. It is Friday so cant get the part til Monday and the car cant be moved from the ramp for safelty reasons. New caliper fitted + discs fitted and charged £200 for being on the ramp all weekend. When I asled for the old caliper they said it was thrown away on Sunday and the bin men took it, on Sunday :-/

Mechanic # 6 , Bit of wiggle on the NS drive shaft. Instructed mechanic to replace the CV joint but instead they decided to just fill the boot with lots of oil. They claimed the problem was fixed so I paid for this job but then found the problem was still there. Back to garage again for CV joint to be replaced as first requested but have not paid more for their experimentation the first time round.

Mechanic # 7 Gear shift cable is shagged so need a new one fitted. Asked mechanic if he will do the job and he says yes no problem. Mechanic states part cost if £300 even though Ford sell them for £120. Also claims the part is on back order from Germany even though available locally at Ford. He never called me to update so I left it after 3 months and went elsewhere.

Mechanic # 8, Need new steering rack. Rack goes in ok but I find the tracking is bad so check the track rod end to find it is wrong type with thick washer bodge. Nut came off it leaving me driving a death trap and a bald tyre.

Mechanic # 9 New Thermostat cover required. Fitted wrong cover, leaking. Discovered by next mechanic who again charged me for ramp time over the weekend

Mechanic #10 Ramp time scam again.

So here I am after all this work and possibly £3000 down now looking for a mechanic to do the head skim and also change the shocks. What do I do in this situation? Is this a nationwide failure of expertise, are mechanics just !Removed! generally, is this a Southend thing or am I black or something else?

Any input appreciated

Chris

cowboys sound like trading standards should have a call

trouble is anyone can pick up a spanner call them selves a "mechanic" , and not even been to a college or trained by manufactures. there is no regulation or certification unlike electricians, gas fitters etc.

garages never check for college certificates or the like before employing with the exception of some of the bigger garages.

a car is just as dangerous as electricity and gas if poorly repaired.

That is a mare of biblical proportions :( & why I always use a Ford stealer

!Removed! ive been unlucky . iam lucky as my mate owns is own garage and does all the jobs on all the cars ive owned and never had a problem and nobody who users im as hes a top man

Sorry but I find this hard to believe.

Take that tube of vaseline out your pocket :o

Im bordering on unluckiest guy ever or a wind up here.

Do you want my address in Scotland? it will be cheaper to bring your car up here by the sounds of it B)

Sorry but I find this hard to believe.

I actually trimmed the list down to make it more believable. For example I missed out the part where the guys that fitted the engine charged me for a new gear shift cable that I asked them to fit , but all they did was bodge it with tie clips.

What is definate is that many mechanics are not even qualified enough to check the timing on an ST. This week I phoned over 12 garages (most Ford specialists) asking them if they could perform the task of checking the timing. They all said yes but backed off when I asked them if they knew how to set up the VVT pulley which they had no idea about.

Another consistent event was being told I needed a computer diagnosis even though I told them it has been plugged in 10 times already and I know the faults. Well lets do it again to be sure they say, then when the errors are listed they have no idea how to fix them.

The most bizarre of all is when the water leak occured during MOT. The MOT guy asked me what monkey fitted the engine to which I replied 'a guy at Auto*** up the road'. The MOT guy then said, "oh I know him he is a very good mechanic". While we were standing in a puddle of orange water.

Take that tube of vaseline out your pocket :o

Im bordering on unluckiest guy ever or a wind up here.

Do you want my address in Scotland? it will be cheaper to bring your car up here by the sounds of it B)

I would travel to Bulgaria if they have the skills to sort this engine out and wont scam me. One option for the head is to go to CNCHeads for a gas flowed jobby. Surely they will just do the job without problems. Maybe I should do that and document it here

I would travel to Bulgaria if they have the skills to sort this engine out and wont scam me. One option for the head is to go to CNCHeads for a gas flowed jobby. Surely they will just do the job without problems. Maybe I should do that and document it here

Could be struggling in Bulgaria

Could be struggling in Bulgaria

I wasn't comparing Scotland to Bulgaria btw :)

Dear god man! I thought my luck with cars was bad!

I think you have been royally had here! I know some good mechanics on the other side of the dartford crossing. I recon if you left them the car you would get it back exactly as you want it!

It sounds like trading standards NEED to be involved. They sound like cowboys to be polite, not fitting the belts and skimming heads correctly and leaving you with a new engine bill is ridiculous (mech1)! if it goes in there and comes out with a fault directly linked to what they were working on, they need to fix it, full stop, end of. That is a serious breach of the sale of goods act right there. Contact DarkKnight on here, this might just give him wet dreams :p

I would start by contacting trading standards, and sending a written letter to the original mechanic, (RECORDED DELIVERY!!!!)

In this letter I would state the cost since the issue that you have faced, and advise the work he claimed to complete and then left you in the lurch. Get Trading Standards on side, and request a written recorded delivery reply from the mechanic. If TS get on your side, you will be in for getting all costs covered by him!!!!

A complete mess this one. So much easier when dealing with one iffy garage but you have gone from one to another and another. I tend to use garages that are part of the good garage scheme just for future reference.

I would go to a proper trusted garage with expertise (do some research) and go through it with them. Get a final figure to repair all faults then you can work with a final figure in mind and leave worrying about claiming money back of the dodgy garages until later.

There is a requirement under the Supply of Goods and Services Act that a service should be supplied with reasonable care and skill. Looks like that went down the pan here!

As said the good garage scheme is about the best you can do, most garages are either good or bad, depends on the owners and people employed at the end of the day.

really feel for you bud after spend all your hard earned cash

My opinion may not be popular or what you want to hear, but I would have served the !Removed! on after Mechanic #2. That car seems like a total money pit and I'd cut losses, break it and if you really want a ST170, find one that isn't !Removed!. You say you bought it as a project, yet it sounds as though you could have bought a minter with what you have thrown at it. I am sorry you have had such trouble, and believe me, I speak from experience. I had a cheap ST24 project, I threw money at it, it threw back more problems. As much as I loved that car, the power and the looks, serving it on was the best thing I did. Even though I made a massive loss on it. If it is an ST and cheap, there is a reason.

Sent via the 'Clacks'

GNU STP