Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

Yesterday Lettie took her car, a Vauxhall Corsa, to have its service and MOT, at a local Vauxhall dealership. The car is 4 years old and has only done 17,500 miles, yet it has failed the MOT. The reason given was that it needs 2 new springs replacing on the rear suspension system. I find it incredible that a pair of shock absorbers should fail after such minor use. :confused:
Are they just attempting to pull the wool over her eyes because she is a "girly" with no mechanical knowledge of the car, and at the same time extracting a sale for two new shock absorber springs from her?

What is the proceedure for testing the road worthiness of a shock absorber during an MOT test?

Come on you petrol-heads out there, opinions please. :)

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

Well... as a female driver myself I always make sure that when I take shirley (my cars name) for a service I have someone with mechanical knowledge by my side (usually the hubby) so that they understand i'm not a push over. My advice would be to tell your friend to get a second opinion preferably taking somebody with her who knows at least basics on cars. Good Luck ;)

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

It is not always possible for me to take anybody with me Wiseowl... Sparkologist works and I work. Unfortunately our shifts mean that I cannot always organise him to come with me.

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

sorry I did'nt take that prospect into consideration before replying. You could however get your partner to take it for you as I find that when it comes to mechanicals most undermine us women more than blokes they seem to think they can fob women off yet when it's a man they assume they know their stuff which puzzles me :rolleyes:

Good Luck anyway I hope you get it sorted:)

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

when i first took my car to the garage i use told them i lived with a mechanic for 18yrs & not to pull the wool over my eyes .....he never has .i have used other garages & yes they do think because your a woman you are clueless about the workings of cars .....our nette always rings me to find out what is wrong with her car before she takes it in ......im 99% right .so garages don't rip her off either ....

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

What exactly did they say it needs, new springs or new shock absorbers?

Have a read of this Lettie. Have you had the work done yet? How much money do they want for the job and how much did they charge for the MOT. If not take it somewhere else for an MOT. The garage just past the railway bridge at Church as you head towards Ossy are honest and fair ( Tinker Brook Garage I think). You could also contact Vauxhall Customer Services and ask them why your car needs new springs after 17,500 miles.

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

i would ask them to explain in great detail and what tests they do to find out whats wrong,they dont like confrontation/or questions the mechanics,you have to put them on the spot ask them to show you whats wrong if your not sure and think they are ripping you off go to a different garage,when i used to live in lancashire we used to go to barnes garage next to netto/poundstretcher,they were good,

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

normaly i would agree but seen as this is a corsaq we are talking about i am not surpised at all

my brother bought 3 corsas from new and every one of them had seripus faults within a week

on one of teh cars teh exhaust system fell clean off at the front as he drove it off the forecourt

my advice would be same as neils and take it somewhere else for a second opinion and if it turns out they were lying to you report them to vauhalls head office

i know somone who took a car for a service at a local vauhall dealership and paid to have the brakes done etc , later on she developed trouble with teh car and took it to a side street mechanic who told her the brakes had never been changed from when they were put on at teh factory and htook extrodinary measures to get them off

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

Thanks folks, I haven't had the work done yet, it's due to be done next week. I was told that the rear springs were broken?????? The dealership does not do the M.O.T. testing (or they didn't last year), they take the car to another garage to have it done. Last year it was taken to Tinker Brook but I don't know where they've taken it to this year because they haven't given me or shown me my fail certificate (if there is one). Sparks is going to come with me this afternoon and ask to see the relevant M.O.T. failure documentation. My back box also needs replacing, I had a feeling that it would as I have been able to hear the exhaust blowing for a few months.......I am surprised about the springs though. I bought my last Corsa when it was 3 years old and had it for 6 years and never needed the springs or shocks replacing.. As Sparks said, this car is 4 years old, I've had it from new, it is low mileage only 17,500.......Is it feasable to have 'broken' springs???

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

with all the speed bumps between here and blackburn it wouldnt surprise me especialy those huge ones they have in blackburn the soze of a car and raised about 12 inchs off the ground

i owuldnt use a dealershipeither

my car needed a bracket on the ehaust replacing and perrys wanted £50 to sort it , i bought the part for £10 and kwickfit fitted it for £5

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

If a broken spring means snapped, which is the only thing I think it can mean then the car should not be being driven and the Vauxhall stealer would know that. I think its worth a second opinion before you take it elsewhere. Don't the likes of Kwik Fit, National etc do a free suspension check. It would be worth finding out before you go back to the Vauxhall stealer

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

Have a look here

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

I have just looked up my M.O.T. test online at the directgov website. It was done at Tinker Brook and says that the nearside rear coil spring is incomplete and that the back box needs to be replaced..... So it looks like it's a legitimate job that needs doing....

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

I haven't had a car for a few years now, but i find it quite disturbing that you weren't given a "fail" sheet.

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

I'm just wondering if Sparko & Lettie may have been doing summat on the back seat which resulted in undue wear & tear on the rear springs......

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

I think you might be right mate. I would also have thought the car would have felt odd to drive if part of the spring is missing. I think I would be asking the Vauxhall stealer if they will be replacing it free as the car has only done a very few miles since she bought it from them. The rear back box i can understand, just.

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

I still think you should do as neil suggested and get a free second opinion, springs and shocks are a favourite with women car owners. Shame they don't have to write on the test certifaicate male or female so the fail stats can be compared.

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

Agree with Nail and Chav. Sounds a bit fishy to me. With that low mileage the springs must of been defective (if truly "broken"). What I always do is to ask for any parts that are replaced. That puts the folks on notice that you'll be looking over these parts either yourself or by a mechanics friend. I believe this scares em into honesty.

I'm not sure if laws in England allow this but it's a good way over here to protect against unscrupulous mechanics. Very sad this stuff goes on eh? Good luck and thanks for opening a discussion on this sort of stuff!

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

We went to Tinker Brook yesterday afternoon and they remembered the car. They were very helpful and explained exactly what was wrong with the spring. The springs on Vauxhalls taper in at the ends and this is a weak point.....you could call it bad design. Sparks has the number for the main Vauxhall head office so that he can have a rant at them... All I can say is that if you have a Corsa, be aware that the springs are of weaker design than other makes of car...

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

So it looks like Tealeaf was right, you have broken the rear spring :o

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

Hi Lettie, just been talking to Ginger about this ( cos I hate to see a woman beat ) :D

He says you would know if it had gone because it would clonk everytime you hit a speed hump. Run your hand around the spring, and if it's truly Incomplete you will be able to feel the break in the spring.........

Don't let them get away with it Lettie!!! show em your a woman that knows her cars ;):D

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

ooooops too late...........

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

WOMEN again.:D

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

Bring your car to me at LOOKERS Vauxhall Blackburn and i will do a FREE insection and answer any questions you may have.:engsmil:

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

Thanks for the offer Steve, I have had to get the work done in order to get the car through its MOT. My dad took it in for me whilst I was on hols, but he did ask for the old springs and they are currently in the boot of my car. I haven't looked at them yet because I don't know what I'm looking at, but we know someone who does.

I can't believe that my car would need new springs after only 14,500 miles. The garage tried to fob me off by blaming it on speed bumps but I'm not buying that one. I am not a boy racer who goes over them at warp speed, I am more like 'driving Miss Daisy'.......

I have had several cars and have only needed to replace one set of springs previously. That car had done almost 80,000 miles.

What kind of mileage would you expect to get out of a set of springs???

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

Out of interest, how much did they charge you for teh springs?

Then ring rays garage supplies up and ask them how much for a set there.

If you want a recommendation of a decent honest garage then Grange Lane is teh only one i trust to touch my car ( I played with cars and engines since I was 9 and can do most things myself if I can be bothered)

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

We got some prices for springs before taking the car back in and challenged them with our prices. They were charging twice the price for the springs and fitting than Kwik Fit. Their argument was that they had Vauxhall trained mechanics, our argument was that it is grease monkey work to fit springs and that it is the kind of job that one would give to an apprentice. Their hourly rate for their mechanics is £70!!!!!!!! The mechanic doesn't see that money but that is what they charge their customers.

I'd already paid for the work to be done as I haven't a clue how much these things cost. Sparks went mad when I told him and has had a go at the garage about their costs. I couldn't get a refund because they said it was non-refundable, even though Sparks pointed out that they hadn't properly explained what needed doing and they never gave me a fail certificate for the MOT. The upshot is that I will not be using this garage again and will be taking either Sparks or my dad with me in the future.

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

Oooo that's made me sooo cross. Hope it comes back and bites em on the bum somehow lettie!!!

I have just had my car serviced and was adamant that I thought my brake pads needed replacing and they were just as adamant they didn't and proved it, lol. In fact all that actually needed doing was both front wipers which I knew but not got round to replacing..

and they did it for about the same price it would have cost me to get them myself!!

So lets hope letties is the last garage horror story we hear on here so RIP vauxhall dealership in accy!! :mad:

Re: Is Lettie being ripped off? !
 

Glad you said Accy.:engsmil: