to think the garage broke my car?

[ASecretLemonadeDrinker]

Car needed a clutch, was quoted £560 and 2 days. 3 weeks and £740 later DH picked up the car and it's crunching in 4th gear. It was fine before & they dropped the gearbox to do clutch. They also tried to get us to get new brakes until we reminded them they did them (£300 odd) about 3 months ago. The lady (owner) took the car to 'a friend' at Ford who said the gearbox is on it's way out.... but it was fine before they took the car! How can we prove they must have done something to it - it's only done about 90,000 and a gearbox is 1-2k more than likely :(

If you were QUOTED, on paper, £560, and accepted that quote, then why did you pay more? You shouldn't be obliged to.

Or did the garage call you, explain an additional fault had come to their attention and gain your permission to carry out the relevant work for another £180? In which case, essentially they are within their rights to charge you the additional sum.

The three weeks vs 2 days quoted is dreadful, but why did it happen? Parts supply can be a factor in this as can dropping the gearbox - it's a bugger of a job and not one any technician really enjoys!

Was the garage which did the work a main dealer?

Essentially the only way to prove that the garage is at fault is to get a full check and report once-over from a main dealer relevant to the make of car and to return to the original garage with this and a letter telling them to make good the problem at their expense or that you will take legal action and inform trading standards. Write the letter to the owner of the garage (Dealer Principal if a main dealer) in person and cc to the manufactuer's HQ and to Trading Standards.

Take it to another garage to get the gearbox checked should not cost anything.

You should have got quotes for the car before having it done, never take it to the first place.

Why so much more than quoted, a clutch is a clutch it does not go up in price. What work does your receipt say was done?

They had to get extra bits, extra tools etc. etc. I have told DH to book it into Ford to be checked over, I can't see there being much luck there because they wont want to commit themselves to saying the garage did something. Bloody cars!