I’m feeling really shaken today. Yesterday I came home from a holiday four hours away. I drove on the motorway for the first 100 miles, and then thankfully turned off ten miles early to have lunch in the countryside. I then made the decision to come home via country roads instead of rejoining the motorway.
Five minutes after leaving lunch, going 60mph on an A road, the car suddenly swerved into oncoming traffic and I couldn’t get it under control. There was a lorry coming towards me but thankfully, somehow, whether through his actions or mine, we didn’t collide and I finally slowed the car and parked and rang breakdown. I looked at the wheels and one was completely bent out of shape.
When they arrived they took the covers off the wheels and it revealed that two of the four bolts were entirely out, one was very loose and just holding the wheel on, and the fourth had snapped under the pressure of being the only one properly connected, and when it snapped it caused the swerving. I can’t stop thinking about if the car had swerved ten seconds later into the lorry, or if I hadn’t decided to turn off the motorway early.
The tyre of that wheel was changed by the garage as part of the car’s MOT two weeks ago.
Anyway, people are telling me to take it back and that the garage should be providing a new wheel (the metal had contorted under the strain and I drove home with the spare wheel on). I know the garage has taken on a 19ish man who they seem to be training up, and he was the one who told me which tyre had been changed so I assume he did the work. But 1. I think the garage will be arsey and try and deny responsibility and 2. I really don’t trust this garage any more.
The breakdown mechanic said I should tell them so they can get more training. Should I bother taking it back to them? I still feel really shaken by it all.