Mechanic broke part during service and did not accept responsibility

[Pavona]

Dear Skoda owners-I had a sad experience at a big dealership/service centre today and I would really appreciate advice about how to resolve the problem with them tomorrow. I took my Octavia in for 4 year service (no longer in warranty) and asked them to look at the rear hatch strut which was loose. I had mentioned it in my 3 year service (in warranty) and they had tightened it and said it was ok-but it soon worked loose again. It worked ok-just juddered when opened. When I picked the car up today the service guy says they couldn't fix the strut as there was no retaining nut on the inside of the body work-sure enough he takes me to the car and shows me the strut now lying in the boot. He says they cant fix it there- I will have to go to a body shop. I am so shocked-I don't think straight and accept what he is saying-drive away and realise the boot won't stay open and takes two hands to raise and lower-are you kidding me! What is really upsetting is they they must have sheared off the nut trying to undo it- it was loose for over a year-but it never came out before-they must have felt it and heard it fall down the inside. It wasn't great but it wasn't broke-it is now and will cost me a fortune to fix. I have to go back tomorrow-any advice?

[Transporter]

How can you be sure that they've broken it?

If it was loose, how you said, they couldn't broken it, it doesn't make any sense. Only, if someone cross threaded the bolt that hold the strut, then when undoing the bolt would require higher forces, which could somehow dislodge the internal nut, but the nut would stay on the bolt spinning inside, it would NOT come off.

Either the way, you can't be sure, because it was already loose when you gave them the car to fix.

[tigger73]

What is certain is that whatever they have done has made it a lot worse. It was workable before but now it is completely broken.

I would be talking to the service manager and asking what he is going to do to rectify the situation.

[Spinifex]

What is certain is that whatever they have done has made it a lot worse. It was workable before but now it is completely broken.

I would be talking to the service manager and asking what he is going to do to rectify the situation.

+1 to this.

Regardless of it being "broken" previously, that's the entire reason you asked them to look at it and fix it.

If you demonstrated to them when dropping the car off, that it was working, but loose - and when they return it, it's completely broken, then the fault lies with the service people.

Be polite - but forceful - when discussing with the service manager. Don't accept speaking to anyone else - only the manager.
The issue has been worsened by them, in trying to fix an issue - and therefore it's their responsibility to rectify.
If they had inspected it and NOT made it worse, they could easily have said "we're unable to fix it sorry, you'll have to do xyz to get it fixed" then that's fair enough.
But they've made it worse, so the expense and rectification is on them.

DON'T accept an unreasonable quote for them to fix it - or at least, get a WRITTEN agreement from them, that you can get it repaired elsewhere, with them to foot the bill for it.

[Transporter]

What is certain is that whatever they have done has made it a lot worse. It was workable before but now it is completely broken.

I would be talking to the service manager and asking what he is going to do to rectify the situation.

Agree to that. They shouldn't have touch it and sent him straight to the panel shop instead. Though sometimes it's not that simple and you don't know what is broken until you remove it and sometimes you can't fit it back. I agree, they should've give more options, but we don't know for sure what else they offered to him (as far as I see, this is the one sided story). Certainly they could take the car to the body shop and charge for it, it would certainly be more convenient to the customer.

So, yes, maybe the dealership didn't handle it well.

[tigger73]

You touch it, you break it, you fix it.

The workshop will have to wear this one as they're the ones that have broken it.

Let us know how you get on.

The dealer has really stuffed this one up. They should have fixed it under warranty when they had the opportunity first time. If the captive nut has come loose from inside the body then that should be covered under warranty and then all this would not have happened. Now they could be up for the cost of the repairs themselves. Hopefully Skoda are good enough (to the dealer) to allow them to claim a warranty repair given that the issue was highlighted while the vehicle was still under warranty.

[Transporter]

You touch it, you break it, you fix it.

The workshop will have to wear this one

Hmm, not always that simple and since the car is not very old, they should really fix it and the warranty still cover it.

Though it's a different story with the older cars. I'm personally very careful which car I take for the repairs, there are too many tinkerers there and dodgy operators as well.

Good luck to the OP with it and let us know how did you go.

[Rambo]

Hopefully you have a good service history with Skoda and therefore it would be reasonable to expect some goodwill.

[woofy]

Yep if you have it noted previously then it should be covered out of warranty. 4 years doesn't mean anything I had something done at 5yrs.