Great isnt it? £400+ service at Mill Lane, Basingstoke, last Tuesday - not used the car much at all since.

Spot a damp patch on the drive on Wednesday morning, seems to be Coolant, must be the remnants of the change-over at the service - nothing to worry about, surely?

Lunchtime today I decide that the patch appears to be getting bigger, it is!! NO bl00dy coolant visible under the cap - 3 litres to top it up!! still dripping out!! look at the radiator and its evident that the water is coming from the Drain tap. The drain tap is at a funny angle - cross threaded?? I am certainly NOT touching it!! So, I ring Mill Lane Engineering, Service Manager is busy with someone he will ring you back as soon as he has finished I am reliably told. 40 minutes later I decide to ring - he has gone home!!!!! not even a call, all smiles when he was taking £400 off me for a sh1t job on Tuesday - cant be 4rsed now!! Mill Lane tell me to ring Subaru Assistance!!

So, I ring Subaru Assistance - they send out a mechanic, not a Subaru mechanic, he takes one look and says that it looks like the Drain Tap has been butchered!! He wont touch it in case it makes it worse then the dealer could say he messed it up!! Bl00dy Great eh?? He reckons Mill Lane have cocked it up - they should attempt to fix it, it could snap if he tried to sort it - so he wont BYE!!!

Now I am effectively knackered until Tuesday when I can talk to Mill Lane - and, hopefully, get some satisfaction.

So, last Monday I have a perfectly functioning Subaru Impreza, Tuesday I pay Mill Lane, Basingstoke, £400 to get some monkey to sh4g my lovely car up, THEN they cannot be 4rsed to ring me back because its time to go home. NOT HAPPY MILL LANE!!!

Why wont a machanic sent by Subaru Assistance not touch the car because, as he says, he is NOT covered if it goes wrong!!!???

What the hell is going on?

Pete

nightmare Pete :( Be careful out there...

Thanks Matt - its ruined my Bank Holiday thats for sure :(

How could they let it through without checking it??

Pete

well, I guess we all have bad experiences with Dealerships and Specialists... bad really as you would have thought customer service and attention to detail would be important, it obviously isn't to some places - sigh!

Matt.

UPDATE

Mill Lane Engineering took my car back today, looked at it straight away - couldnt see anything wrong (of course!) - but refilled the coolant and re-engaged the drain plug.

Came to an agreement as to compensation too - jam tomorrow - but, it is something!

So, until/if it starts leaking again we have a happy ending - sorted with a smile too!! :D

Pete

Does that mean the drain bung thingy had not been ruined??

The 'Official' stance was that there was nothing 'obviously' wrong - they couldnt really say anything else could they?? What would YOU do?? You tell the customer that it appears ok and its a complete mystery why all the coolant leaked in the first place.

As long as they stop it leaking and the customer goes away happy and compensated for all his/her hassle then the story suits all involved doesnt it?

Pete

The leak may only happen when the car has cooled down, anyway glad its been sorted.

Nigel


[Edited by nigelward - 5/11/2002 10:29:09 AM]