To not want to go back to the garage?

Probably linked to wheel change but that’s not to say there weren’t correct when leaving

changing a wheel is bread and butter stuff it seems he’s already been deemed guilty as he’s 19 and an apprentice which is a bit unfair

just speak to garage

You would have felt a vibration/knocking way before it got to the point where two of the nuts came off. The wheel would have been progressively wobbling as the nuts worked their way to the end of the the thread and fell off, and you would have felt that.

They should have been tightened properly at the garage. They probably were, but maybe they weren't. You will never know. Trying to pin blame because they have an apprentice who is 19 is a complete red herring, changing wheels and how to torque correctly will literally be the first thing he will have learned.

The garage will no way take responsibility. The paperwork will have a notice in there about re-torquing after a certain distance, and even then, they'll just ask why you didn't stop and check when the feeling would have started.

Chalk it up to one of those things, lesson learned, be happy nothing worse happened. You aren't going to get anywhere with the garage.

Because the longer/further you drove it, the less likely it was the garage’s fault.

You should have a wrench in the boot of your car. Put it on the wheel nut and turn to the right/stand on it to turn it right. If it doesn’t shift it’s tight.

When one comes loose, the others can come loose.

Didn’t you notice a difference in the handling? It would have been pulling on that corner and probably quite noisy.

Who do you work for? <nosey>

Definitely let the garage know even if you don’t want to go back. You could have been killed. They need to know so they can give him more training. The next person might not be so lucky.

Ive never heard of this or done this and i have had tyres changed twice a year for the last 20 years.

I don't think this is true any more, in the old days they weren't sure how tight the nuts were so you were (sometimes) advised to check or re-tighten them, these days they should use a torque wrench to ensure the right tightness, so they won't come undone, but they are not over tightened. The person who put the wheel on probably put the nuts on with the car up on the jack and then got distracted and never tightened them properly once it was on the ground.

You need to tell the garage. If you don't want the confrontation, tell them in a I'm.just letting you know kind of eat and the lad might need supervising.

Did you not hear the wheels were loose though? Mine made a noise, like there was something wrapped around the wheel and it was chugging

Ignore the posters trying to make it your fault. Some people are having a shit good Friday I think.

So how do you check your wheel nuts please people

But you must have done 100 miles+ to get where you were going.

And it was 4 hours away, so further than 100 miles each way. 100 miles of motorway driving would take less than 2 hours under normal driving conditions.

You must have done a considerable amount of driving in the 2 weeks since it was changed. I mean 200 miles round trip to a holiday for starters.
Everything I can find online says that you must check your wheel nuts 30 to 50 miles after a wheelchange because it takes a while for everything to settle back into posotion. I confess I don't do this, but I think my dh regularly checks the wheel nuts on all our cars

Also news to me about checking – my car doesn’t even have a spare wheel and therefore no jack, lug wrench etc.

That sounds absolutely terrifying @Roififfufu and I don’t blame you for not wanting to go back. I hope you’re ok driving again

Whatttt? I've been driving 20+ years and I've never been told this.

Ask me who I work for. I dare you.

I've never needed bolts retightened.

My DB once got his tyres changed, left the tyre place & a few km's down the road saw a wheel rolling along the road.... It was his. Yes, he gave the garage an absolute mouthful for it, and made them fix it for free.

If you don't have much faith, get them to fix it free, then pay another mechanic to check it.

Every garage I've ever used has had a note at the bottom of the invoice saying the nuts need to be checked after 50 miles or similar. Can't say I've ever done it, but I know I should...

@Lovelysummerdays the nuts being too tight can be just as bad as them being loose - it could put too much pressure on the wheel / hub and cause them to break. They should always torque the bolts to the manufacturer's pressure, which can differ quite a bit. I had a Peugeot that stated 100nm then a BMW that was 140nm - wildly different!

Please do feedback if you go for this option, OP. 😂

Given this is still a question on the theory test, it’s not “outdated”, nor will the garage be liable if you’ve driven hundreds of miles without checking that the wheels will keep your car on the road.

theorytest.org.uk/youve-had-to-change-a-wheel-on-your-vehicle-when-should-the-wheel-nuts-be-checked-again/

Having your wheel nuts tightened after 50 miles is an old procedure that is no longer necessary but still adhered to. Yes you should check your vehicle before you go anywhere OP but this one’s not on you.

The simple fact is the trainee did not tighten the nuts to the correct torque. You not only need to go back and tell them but you will also need to be compensated for any damage to your vehicle. Don’t assume there is none. Make if clear a nice visit from VOSA could be on the cards if they don’t assist you.

Clearly have too much time on my hands but the Highway Code says you should check especially after being changed as nuts can stretch when being tightened then loosen due to vibration.

I do think all drivers should probably have to do some sort of basic mechanic course just to learn to do safety checks. To reinforce theory learning of Highway Code. I didn’t and learnt much from YouTube over the years there was talk of adding it to the test years ago when I sat it.

The garage I use hang one of these from the rear view mirror if they remove wheels for anything.

A previous garage had it printed on the bottom of the paperwork.

It's really the driver's responsibility, but if they're not actually telling you at all - rather than you've not read a footnote on the invoice or something - then that's really really bad.