Potential car mechanical insurance dispute

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Jeeves

301 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1247022 26-Feb-2015 12:49

dickytim: Did you go to the mechanic and ask him to fix the tensioner issue by any chance? If so my may have to suffer through this as he will have done what he was instructed to do.

If you told him to fix the noise and he replaced parts that didn't need replacing ask him why and if he test drove the car sufficiently after to determine it was fixed.

I somehow have a feeling we are talking about the latter here.

We told them there was a noise coming from the vicinity and we think it could be the tensioner. He carried out his own testing and 'confirmed' this ... so yea, the latter.

I don't think they even took it for a test drive afterwards because when i arrived to pick it up, they were only just backing it out of the mechanics bay.

BTR

1527 posts

Uber Geek

#1247031 26-Feb-2015 12:59

If you have any technical ability with cars (not all people do) take the belt off yourself and spin the alternator and power steer pump by hand and see if either of them are noisy. trying doing it when the engine is both hot and cold although give the engine some time to cool down if its hot or wear good gloves.

DravidDavid

1907 posts

Uber Geek

#1247147 26-Feb-2015 14:58

This is why when my friend's RX8 recently went in to the shop to have it checked, I told her to say nothing but "Something is wrong".

The mechanics might be able to go back and say "That's what we were told the problem was", regardless of whether or not they did their own "testing". Otherwise, it really does seem like you may need to go back to the mechanic and sort something out, or appeal the case with insurance. I would go back to the mechanic and get them to fix it for nothing, considering they never fixed anything to start with.

My friends automatic RX8 required a full re-build in the end after just 3 months of driving. She spend $140.00 on the mechanical warranty from the dealer and saved herself over $5,000. Lucky girl considering she damn near emptied her pockets buying the car, haha! If I was buying a +10,000 dollar car, I'd definitely get a mechanical warranty!

mudguard

2113 posts

Uber Geek

#1247155 26-Feb-2015 15:16

My friends automatic RX8 required a full re-build in the end after just 3 months of driving. She spend $140.00 on the mechanical warranty from the dealer and saved herself over $5,000. Lucky girl considering she damn near emptied her pockets buying the car, haha! If I was buying a +10,000 dollar car, I'd definitely get a mechanical warranty!

I think I would look a little more closely at a car than buying whatever I wanted and relying on the mechanical warranty.
Anyway

Rotary=$$$

DravidDavid

1907 posts

Uber Geek

#1247183 26-Feb-2015 16:12

Rotary=$$$

Exactly. I'm not even sure why a dealer would be game enough to supply them with mechanical warranties.

wally22

504 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1247199 26-Feb-2015 16:34

The dealers contract an insurance company to supply the warranty.

gregmcc

2147 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1247211 26-Feb-2015 17:25

the insurance contract is between you and the insurance company, not the mechanic.

It is the insurance companies responsibility to make sure the job is carried out fully, if the mechanic didn't do it right the 1st time then it gets done again and again at either the insurance companies cost or the mechanics cost.

Look up the CGA there is a section on services and as a typical insurance company they are trying to weasel their way out of a complete job.

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CitizenErased

207 posts

Master Geek

#1247823 27-Feb-2015 14:13

Worst case scenario, lodge a dispute with the insurance ombudsman.

dickytim

2514 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1248038 27-Feb-2015 19:55

gregmcc: the insurance contract is between you and the insurance company, not the mechanic.

It is the insurance companies responsibility to make sure the job is carried out fully, if the mechanic didn't do it right the 1st time then it gets done again and again at either the insurance companies cost or the mechanics cost.

Look up the CGA there is a section on services and as a typical insurance company they are trying to weasel their way out of a complete job.

Op needs to ready his documentation, the insurance company and mechanic can claim the issue is 2 seperate issues so you will have to pay the excess for each problem.

Jeeves

301 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1250071 3-Mar-2015 10:24

So just a wee update. Its back at the garage and they have found a split in the high pressure hose for the power steering, which has leaked PS oil.

I checked the power steering levels when the noise first started happening and it was fine. The mechanics are adamant the tensioner bearing was faulty, and seem to be a bit confused when I told them the noise didn't go away after they replaced it. They kept mentioning it made a noise when turning the wheel (as one would expect from a faulty power steering system), but I told them several times that the noise was now full time and whilst it did get louder when doing aggressive turning, it was there at all times.

I did ask them why they missed the power steering the first time around and they said there was no indication of a leak at that point.

Either way, seems ill be up for another $350 excess (The power steering job has been quoted at $500 something....the hose is like $400 from Honda!). I'm not sure I'll have a case because reading between the lines the mechanics are gearing up to claim that these are 2 completely different faults and both items did need replacing....

BTR

1527 posts

Uber Geek

#1250103 3-Mar-2015 10:54

Jeeves: So just a wee update. Its back at the garage and they have found a split in the high pressure hose for the power steering, which has leaked PS oil.

I checked the power steering levels when the noise first started happening and it was fine. The mechanics are adamant the tensioner bearing was faulty, and seem to be a bit confused when I told them the noise didn't go away after they replaced it. They kept mentioning it made a noise when turning the wheel (as one would expect from a faulty power steering system), but I told them several times that the noise was now full time and whilst it did get louder when doing aggressive turning, it was there at all times.

I did ask them why they missed the power steering the first time around and they said there was no indication of a leak at that point.

Either way, seems ill be up for another $350 excess (The power steering job has been quoted at $500 something....the hose is like $400 from Honda!). I'm not sure I'll have a case because reading between the lines the mechanics are gearing up to claim that these are 2 completely different faults and both items did need replacing....

Sounds like your mechanic isn't very good and you are being shafted by the company that underwrites the warranty. I would argue it and ask the mechanic to supply the faulty parts so you can see them.

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