Hi I was wondering if there was a legal expert on here that may be able to help me with a bit of a dilema?
My wife blew the turbo on her vehicle in October 2009, the AA were called and confirmed a blown turbo.
We have full AA cover which includes repairs upto the value of £500. The car was taken to my local garage and the turbo was removed and sent away to be repaired. In November I got a call from the garage to warn me that the turbo repair could be expensive as it was a difficult job, apparently?, my reply to them was that the vehicle was no use to me not running and the AA would be paying £500 of the bill. The turbo came back repaired eventualy at a cost of£950.00? and was fitted back on the vehicle, when the vehicle was started it apparently sounded horrendous, their diagnosis was internal engine damage caused by the turbo blowing, possibly valves etc so they would have to remove the head to check and if it was bent valves they would replace them. In trying to remove the head it was brought to my attention that the injectors were seized and could possibly be damaged? they then investigated the cost of the injectors, should they need to replace any, only to find out that they were £300 each? I was informed of this and my only reply, again, was that the vehicle is no use to me not running but this is getting crazy in costs as the vehicle was only worth £2500 to £3000. We are now into April. They then went ahead and removed the head and in doing so damaged 3 injectors so 3 new injectors were bought and various tests were done on the head etc and the car put back together, I assumed to be fixed, only to find they still hadn't solved the problem as it still ran badly. I by now had purchased another vehicle and had left the country until September which I had warned them I was doing. Since then I heard nothing. I returned in October and nievly put the vehicle to the back of my mind. Out of the blue this January, I get a message on my answer machine from the garage asking to call them, so I decided to cold call the garage to see them face to face and access the condition of the vehicle and why had they left it until now to contact me, it is left outside with 4 flat tyres and the bonnet placed over the engine looking rather sorry for itself.The reason I am asking all this is that the garage, since my visit, have now just sent me a bill a full 15 months after they had the vehicle, for £2234.77? for a non fixed vehicle.Unfortunately the owner was not there so I asked to get him to call me and thats when this bill turned up?
I obviously want to sort this as amicably as possible which is why I asked him to call me to discuss where we go from here, insted I get a bill for £2234 for a vehicle that does't work and I have no idea where I stand legaly or otherwise.
If anyone could help I would very much appreciate it.
Thanks
My wife blew the turbo on her vehicle in October 2009, the AA were called and confirmed a blown turbo.
We have full AA cover which includes repairs upto the value of £500. The car was taken to my local garage and the turbo was removed and sent away to be repaired. In November I got a call from the garage to warn me that the turbo repair could be expensive as it was a difficult job, apparently?, my reply to them was that the vehicle was no use to me not running and the AA would be paying £500 of the bill. The turbo came back repaired eventualy at a cost of£950.00? and was fitted back on the vehicle, when the vehicle was started it apparently sounded horrendous, their diagnosis was internal engine damage caused by the turbo blowing, possibly valves etc so they would have to remove the head to check and if it was bent valves they would replace them. In trying to remove the head it was brought to my attention that the injectors were seized and could possibly be damaged? they then investigated the cost of the injectors, should they need to replace any, only to find out that they were £300 each? I was informed of this and my only reply, again, was that the vehicle is no use to me not running but this is getting crazy in costs as the vehicle was only worth £2500 to £3000. We are now into April. They then went ahead and removed the head and in doing so damaged 3 injectors so 3 new injectors were bought and various tests were done on the head etc and the car put back together, I assumed to be fixed, only to find they still hadn't solved the problem as it still ran badly. I by now had purchased another vehicle and had left the country until September which I had warned them I was doing. Since then I heard nothing. I returned in October and nievly put the vehicle to the back of my mind. Out of the blue this January, I get a message on my answer machine from the garage asking to call them, so I decided to cold call the garage to see them face to face and access the condition of the vehicle and why had they left it until now to contact me, it is left outside with 4 flat tyres and the bonnet placed over the engine looking rather sorry for itself.The reason I am asking all this is that the garage, since my visit, have now just sent me a bill a full 15 months after they had the vehicle, for £2234.77? for a non fixed vehicle.Unfortunately the owner was not there so I asked to get him to call me and thats when this bill turned up?
I obviously want to sort this as amicably as possible which is why I asked him to call me to discuss where we go from here, insted I get a bill for £2234 for a vehicle that does't work and I have no idea where I stand legaly or otherwise.
If anyone could help I would very much appreciate it.
Thanks
