What's a Fair Outcome ? - After Your Wisdom Pls

[DRD]

My vehicle needed a repair. This required the bumper off, radiator out/ disconnecting the cooling system.

This original repair left me with a tiny leak in the cooling system - like 100ml every 1000 miles.

I returned the vehicle and the repair shop located the leak. It was deep in the engine bay and you needed to use an endoscope to find it. As the vehicle had a padded tray beneath the engine this was "mopping up" the tiny leak. It transpired that a £13 plastic component had failed in the cooling system. This was obviously caused during the primary repair by removing and reattaching a water hose.

What is a fair financial outcome pls ?

1. This crack is clearly a tiny one to leak at such a slow rate. The failed component was made of plastic (20 yrs ago it would have been cast aluminium)

2. The leak was so deep in the engine and so well hidden by the undertray that a test drive by the garage post the original repair did not reveal the issue

3. Fixing this was a 4h job as it was bumper off and radiator off again

None of this feels like my fault. My actions did not lead to either cracking the part that failed or failing to spot that it was cracked.

I am now presented with a second bill for hundreds, including 4h labour, new coolant et et.
I have used this garage for years and they are totally honest and do good work.

Genuinely interested to know how the guys on here would handle this situation. What do you think is the right financial outcome ?

Thanks

 

[kev a]

I caused a tiny coolant leak the other day on my car by moving around some of the pipes to work on something else, it can definitely happen without being heavy handed, only caught it by chance as it was a pinhole and only leaked at high rpm, also had a plastic thermostat housing just crack for no reason on a fairly new car.

Plastic fatigues especially when subjected to extreme heat cycles. Sort of feels like it might have happened to anyone removing and re attaching the rad, rather than poor workmanship.

Manufacturer cost cutting rather than the garages fault IMO, but if you have been a customer for years might be nice if they offered a little bit of discount to soften the blow.

 

[Wayne J]

This was obviously caused during the primary repair by removing and reattaching a water hose.

The problem is although it is almost certainly the case that it happened while they were working on your car, you can't really prove it. It could have failed at any time due to fatigue over 20yrs.

As you say youve been happy with them all of the other times youve used them, I'd ask for a reduction as a loyal customer, but wouldn't necessarily kick up a fuss if they didnt give it. Even if they just charge for the 4hrs labour.

 

[neil1637]

Echoing what hads already been said, my only advice in any similar situation is, be nice.

Smile, explain your thoughts in an amicable way, assert no blame and expect nothing.

It is what it is. Maintain the higher ground. What will be will be.

Hope you get it sorted.

 

[carl lawrence]

The car is 20 years old all rubbers hoses ,rubber grommets and plastics are on borrowed time especially anything with high pressure .My youngest drives a E46 (BMW) so he has to replace everything including the radiator as well , you just can’t replace one item on a classic car he has spent a fortune on it replacing stuff, he also has a sump oil leak to which is going to cost another fortune ( oil sump seal is rubber ). So basically replace everything in one hit to keep the cost down it’s all part of driving a classic car !

 

[DRD]

Thanks for all the sound advice. We amicably settled on a bit of a discount to normal costs.