Who pays for NCT failure?

[pingin]

Paid almost €800 this week to get my car serviced. I took it for NCT this morning and it had a major fail: a broken CV joint, with the brakes covered in grease. Both wishbones had been replaced during the service.

I took it straight back to the garage this morning. They weren't going to look at it until next week but I insisted it be done today.

Am I entitled to ask the garage for a refund of the €28 retest fee?

 

[thos]

You're always entitled to ask, just not entitled to receive.

Do they offer of the 'NCT pass' guarantees, or pre-NCT check? Was this part of your service?

My concern would the overall quality of work, so if you're mechanic is missing major items like this, then I would be looking for another mechanic with whom you can trust.

 

[pingin]

Thanks thos. They offer a pre-NCT. It was part of the service. This small garage got mostly-good reviews—and a few bad ones—so I thought I'd give them a go. My Honda dealer was asking ridiculous money for the same work.

 

[T McGibney]

Thanks thos. They offer a pre-NCT. It was part of the service. This small garage got mostly-good reviews—and a few bad ones—so I thought I'd give them a go. My Honda dealer was asking ridiculous money for the same work.

You can't blame the small garage so if they were willing to take you on in the hope of getting your car through the test but without the outlay the main dealer was charging. The €28 retest fee is small beer in the circumstances.

 

[demoivre]

Could the CV joint not have broken after the original service and before the NCT? I'm astounded at €800 for a service - I've never paid anything remotely close to that for a service!

 

[pingin]

You can't blame the small garage so if they were willing to take you on in the hope of getting your car through the test but without the outlay the main dealer was charging. The €28 retest fee is small beer in the circumstances.

Just to clarify, the €800 was mostly for parts. Honda charge far more for parts e.g. €148 for a new battery but I got one from another garage for €75. Surely, any decent garage can do a pre-NCT service.

 

[pingin]

Could the CV joint not have broken after the original service and before the NCT? I'm astounded at €800 for a service - I've never paid anything remotely close to that for a service!

Not really. The car was serviced last Tuesday and driven (carefully) on two short journeys since then. The cost of the service was €75. Most of the cost was for parts, including two wishbones and brakes and discs for the rear.

 

[T McGibney]

Just to clarify, the €800 was mostly for parts. Honda charge far more for parts e.g. €148 for a new battery but I got one from another garage for €75. Surely, any decent garage can do a pre-NCT service.

Of course they do, but you don't get an NCT pass guarantee unless you specifically pay extra for one.

My own mechanic has sometimes postponed doing expensive corrective work in the hope that a car will get through an NCT without it and his opinion is usually very sound so he's saved me a lot of money over the years, but he'd run a mile if I demanded a guarantee from him.

 

[pingin]

Of course they do, but you don't get an NCT pass guarantee unless you specifically pay extra for one.

My own mechanic has sometimes postponed doing expensive corrective work in the hope that a car will get through an NCT without it and his opinion is usually very sound so he's saved me a lot of money over the years, but he'd run a mile if I demanded a guarantee from him.

I wasn't looking for a guarantee, and never have in the past. I'm just looking for the garage to do the job right, especially with something as potentially dangerous as this. I'm always extremely careful about where I get the car serviced and have never had an NCT failure before. I've never gone for the cheap option.

 

[DirectDevil]

I would argue that the level of workmanship fell well below what was reasonably expected of a competent motor trader in rendering the service for which you paid.
Put another way, they did not render what was agreed under contract.
My inclination would be to simply walk away from them and never deal there again.

You could argue breach of contract. However, they are still entitled to be paid for what was done properly - quantum meruit.

 

[T McGibney]

... as potentially dangerous as this.
... and have never had an NCT failure before. I've never gone for the cheap option.

Everything in a car is potentially dangerous. It's actual dangers you need to be concerned about.

Everyone experiences an NCT failure sooner or later. Don't take it personally, as it's not exactly a badge of shame nor dishonour.

 

[LS400]

Thanks thos. They offer a pre-NCT. It was part of the service. This small garage got mostly-good reviews—and a few bad ones—so I thought I'd give them a go. My Honda dealer was asking ridiculous money for the same work.

Look at what you say in that post,

You took a gamble, and it didn't pay off for you.

Its a bit like saying that suit in Louis Copeland is over priced comparing it to a discount store price..
With a main dealer, you may pay more, and that can reflect in the after care.

Ive given this advise many times before when asked for advice, if the car needs a lot of money to bring it up to nct standard, run it through the test and then only pay for what is needed above the service costs.

For the price of a re-test, your only forking out for what is actually needed, instead of what the mechanic thinks it may fail on. And, main dealers are very quick to over kill on replacing parts "just in case" it fails.

 

[pingin]

I would argue that the level of workmanship fell well below what was reasonably expected of a competent motor trader in rendering the service for which you paid.
Put another way, they did not render what was agreed under contract.
My inclination would be to simply walk away from them and never deal there again.

You could argue breach of contract. However, they are still entitled to be paid for what was done properly - quantum meruit.

I would agree with you there DirectDevil.

 

[pingin]

Everything in a car is potentially dangerous. It's actual dangers you need to be concerned about.

Everyone experiences an NCT failure sooner or later. Don't take it personally, as it's not exactly a badge of shame nor dishonour.

I'm not a bit worried about having failed the test, it just the fact that a mechanic may have neglected something important in servicing the car. Everything is dangerous but a faulty steering is much more dangerous than a faulty switch on the radio!

 

[pingin]

Look at what you say in that post,

You took a gamble, and it didn't pay off for you.

Its a bit like saying that suit in Louis Copeland is over priced comparing it to a discount store price..
With a main dealer, you may pay more, and that can reflect in the after care.

Ive given this advise many times before when asked for advice, if the car needs a lot of money to bring it up to nct standard, run it through the test and then only pay for what is needed above the service costs.

For the price of a re-test, your only forking out for what is actually needed, instead of what the mechanic thinks it may fail on. And, main dealers are very quick to over kill on replacing parts "just in case" it fails.

It's hardly a gamble. This isn't some backstreet garage. How do you know that a main dealer isn't ripping you off, just because they can?

 

[pingin]

Problem solved! The head mechanic phoned just now and apologised profusely. The parts were fitted correctly in the garage. Apparently they send cars out for steering adjustment as they don't have those facilities. He reckons the damage happened there and said he would never have allowed it to go out to the customer in that condition. Whatever about that, he's offered a complete refund on the retest.

 

[T McGibney]

Well done!

 

[Sue Ellen]

Glad you got it sorted. Lesson learnt, as mentioned above, its best to go for test, see what they want done and then take the list to your garage.