Can you trust a car mechanic?

Because o/h crashed the car we had to buy a new one. Being rather short I found the seat belt cut right across my neck so went back to the main Ford dealers in Norwich, where we bought the car and asked them if they would adjust the seatbelt for me.
After much shaking of heads and pondering I was told it was not possible despite the fact I had read in the manual that it could be done.

Our son called in on his way home to see us and after a few words *** *** *** - he got a ring spanner from his car, undone the appropriate button and screwed it into the lower fitting. Approximately two minutes!!

He rang the service Manager and asked what sort of mechanics they employed and after much apologising he said that he also didn't think you could adjust the seatbelt in that car!

Nuff said! I would not trust them to do anything with my car again if they cannot even adjust a seatbelt!

 

Usually its because they cant be bothered.
I took mine in recently to a Ford agent to get the brakes checked.
No one really wanted to have a look, they gave me the impession that they were doing me some kind of favour.
I hate garages, I've not come across one where they value the customer yet.

 

Years ago, when cars weren't computerised in their mechanics, I'd rather work on a car myself, and have actually done things such as change head gaskets on my Sprite. I had Sprites for 18 or so years and maintained them myself.

I was brought up in racing with my Dad so it was "natural" doing mechanical things.

I find it a shame there are few women who know anything about a car .... SAYS SHE LOUDLY NOW AS TIMES HAVE CHANGED!

In the States I had this wonderful mechanic, a wonderful black man in the 60s (Martin Luther King days) who worked on the Police cars there and my cars when need be, usually much to his horror with me peering under the hood!

I went from grease under the nails to dirt.

I'm happy with that now! :D

 

Well my mechanic is the business, I just got back from having my car upgraded (again!) and re-tuned and he is close to god on the car front !

Most dealers, or stealers as I like to call them are utter rubbish. I have had Fords, Hondas, VW's, Rovers and now Subaru's. All very different cars but all very common faults, the cr@p dealer service !

 

You could be right Pete, but even the manager said he didn't know the belt could be adjusted.I only took it back there because that was where I bought it and it is on a three year warranty.
I since find that if it is taken to any registered garage then the warranty still stands. So guess where I shall go in future - to the local garage where I have had very good service for many years and like you Shiney, bulbs replaced without charge. And they have always run me home when I have MOTs and servicing done!
Hooray for Richard Nash Group, Norwich

 

My Husband was a mechanic, and he always said that warranties wasnt worth the paper they were printed on!
Dealers work in a sterile enviroment! So asking them to get there hands dirty would be a bit of an insult. small garages or mobile mechanics are the way to go.

 

Interesting mef750! But three year warranty -parts and labour no good?

 

I use a little local garage and the guy there has been like an uncle to me! He really goes out of his way to help me out and sort me out. But sadly, though he's equipped himself with the necessary computer widget to 'do' the electronic management, he still can't do my Corsa because the latest version is available only to Vauxhall dealerships!! And we only have one such dealership in our area so it's rather Hobson's choice! Talk about a stitch up! Bob still does the work but I have to take it back to them to have the o/b computer reset.

But I wouldn't want to take my car anywhere else. He's even come out to me when I've broken down and only charged me for the work he's done, not the call-out. And he drove all the way over to north of Newcastle to check out a car for me and only charged me for the petrol! Plus, he's not registered for VAT so his bills are a lot lower than average!

And Shiney - I know Maltings garage! Never went there but I know of it!

 

Jjordie, You will find that your 3 years parts and labour only cover certain things.
They have there own get out clauses wrote into the agreement.
MEF750