AIBU ... they should pay?

[Camperqueen]

Have recently namechanged but not for this as it’s pretty mundane!

My car broke down this morning on the M25 heading to my very first day of work at a new job.

Less than 2 weeks ago I recently had a full service carried out to the tune of nearly £300. I also had it MOT’d early. All fine.

The reason I had it MOT’d and the extensive service was so that I knew that my older but normally pretty dependable car was up to the long journey.

Long story short but I’ve had to buy a new car as I must absolutely have a dependable car for my work. . THey will only give me £500 part ex for my old car in driveable condition, and £250 if I don’t get it fixed (which I’m not as it will cost more than £250).

AIBU to ask the Major Name service provider to refund the £300 cost of my service and my MOT, plus the cost of the recovery (£200) plus ...possibly the day’s wage that I lost (I am a contractor)? I am so angry and embarrassed!!

Anyone successfully argued damages like this in a similar situation????

Heading up there shortly but it would be good to know whether I’m wasting my breath- or what to do / say !!

You have more chance of being bitten by a daffodil

Even it was their fault.

Yep, IABU!!! Thanks all- you helped temper my reserve when stating my dissatisfaction. They were embarrassed and recognised how shit it was for me! But didn’t take any liability - I didn’t push it!

What a sham! I felt safer knowing I’d had it done.

What a sham!

You're still BU, it's not a sham - you didn't pay for your water pump to be checked, so why is it a sham that your water pump failed?

It's not a sham. It clearly tells you what they check.

It's bad luck the water pump failed. But they have never given you the impression it would be checked. They never promised you car would never have an issue if you had this service.

They were probably embarssed (if they even were) because they felt it was quite obvious that they wouldn't promise you would never have a problem.

Have you actually read and digested any of these replies? It's not a sham - they did exactly as they should of done for what you paid for.

It's like you paying a gardener to mow your lawn, then a tree falling down in your garden a few days later and you blaming the gardener for not cutting down the tree for you as he should of known it was going to fall down.....

And I doubt they were embarrassed - they were probably trying not to laugh in your face...

Mmmk......I felt safer knowing it was done, I expected that my car was deemed roadworthy and any parts which could go wrong would have been replaced- this is the comfort I took in paying extra for the major service. Therefore I was extremely disappointed that this happened after I took steps to ensure my car was roadworthy when it was not.

I was ignorant about specifically requesting the water pump to be replaced and they didn’t offer or make me aware that I should consider it on a car with 95k miles. I received a number of advisories about other things to be aware will need replacing at this mileage, which I consented to. I don’t understand why this wouldn’t at least have been flagged by someone.

I have seen and recognised that I was unreasonable and am grateful for the responses. Even in telling me IABU the vast majority have done so have been polite and informative so thank you!

But your specific car may not need a water pump change until say £150k miles... Also, unless its on the service schedule (look up online for your make and model of car) they probably know less than you do when it is due for your specific make and model of car..

Each car is different. Some may require a water pump at 50k some at 200k - some maybe its not included on the service schedule.

There is nothing whatsoever that you've said that suggests they should have known this. They are not telephathic - this is the point I think you are missing.

Also, as I have said before, even if they say you're water pump "ideally" should be changed at x number of miles - you are not obliged to have that work done. It's simply an advisory. If they didn't put it on as an advisory it sounds like it wasn't due and they had no way of looking into the future and seeing that it would go a few days later. It really is simply bad luck and coincidence.

Neither of what you had done would involve checking a water pump. MOT is to ensure the car is safe.. Google what each involves?
It's down to YOU to check your manual /paperwork as to when your manufacturer suggests a new pump or. Any other part for that matter.
Thats one of those things unfortunately

I don't think an MOT or service equates to a guarantee on all parts in the car so unfortunately I think you're out of luck - annoying!

Isnt a water pump somthing that just goes tho? Its not like a cam belt that needs checking/adjusting/replacing.

I admit now that I know it’s somewhat unpredictable it was really bad luck and timing! I have no idea if or when it’s ever been done before as it’s an (otherwise lovely) vintage car. The guys at the garage we’re admiring it.

We were chatting about it and they actually said to me this afternoon that BMWs tend to need the water pump replaced around 95 to 100k miles. I didn’t know this.

That’s when i asked if that was the case why then it hadn’t been listed as an advisory to consider fixing - it wasn’t accusatory, more curious really from me. And that’s then when they looked a bit embarrassed. Perhaps I misread it but that’s what it looked like to me! Maybe it was my ignorance in asking the question but they were really polite and explained everything.

It was all polite, and in no way did I look prattish, it was very much about how unfortunate, what shit timing etc. I cleaned out the car, handed the keys to the dealer I was part ex-ing with for my lovely new car and that was that.

My car passed it's MOT last Thursday and broke down today. it's a test not a prophet.

We were chatting about it and they actually said to me this afternoon that BMWs tend to need the water pump replaced around 95 to 100k miles. I didn’t know this.

You are the car owner, you should know these things. Most of us don't pay attention, but then it's no one else's fault when it bites us in the ass.

A mechanic is not going to explain every minute detail to every customer. And who knows, your water pump may have looked great....can still break.

My partner is an MOT tester. The water pump doesn't get checked as part of the MOT, so it would never be an advisory. There are many things that can go wrong with a car that aren't part of the MOT, it's not a health check on your engine and all working parts (unfortunately!). Ditto service really.

Yep, It’s been well established that it’s bitten me in the ass and that IABU to think it’s anyones fault but my own. I’m OK with that and grateful for the responses! I’ve chalked it up!!

But I cannot imagine I’m the only person who relies on paying professional people to care for a car at regular intervals rather than innately know the potential failure schedule of hundreds of obscure moving engine parts.

This was by far the oldest and highest mileage car I’ve ever owned and I’ve never, ever experienced a water pump failure or, if I’m honest, known it was a problem that I needed to watch out for. My DH wouldn’t know this either so it’s not just my failing. We aren’t handy people or car enthusiasts.

Surely you guys still giving me grief can cut me some slack for really not knowing it was a concern or something to ask to be checked? I didn’t know and I was reliably informed unreasonable to think otherwise based on great feedback from you lot!!!

I had a water pump replaced this year and iirc, it's a bugger of a job as it's hard to get to so it's probably not a simple thing to check.

I would also not recommend Halfords for repairs etc, when I got a quote from them it was double the cost of my normal garage and they weren't even sure if my car has a water pump
My normal garage sorted it for £200.

@mummabubs that's shocking.

Also my knowledge of cars is terrible I've been driving for 14 years and don't know what a bloody water pump is

But I cannot imagine I’m the only person who relies on paying professional people to care for a car at regular intervals rather than innately know the potential failure schedule of hundreds of obscure moving engine parts

You won't be the only person. That's doesn't make you right or the seevic3 and MOT a sham.

No one is giving you flack for making assumptions. Its the fact that you keep asserting you were reasonable to feel it was enough to keep your car from ever breaking down.

I use a local mechanic. He knows I know nothing about cars. I volunteered that info. Whenever my car is in, I always ask if anything is due for replacing, due to mileage.

He doesn't impart the same info on my best friend who uses him because she never asks and is really into cars and knows everything about any car she owns.

The photo you posted makes it very clear what they check. It's clear they don't check every part of your car. That's why people are still giving you flack. Because you still think it's unfair.

Yep I normally take it to BMW (and pay thru the nose) but they couldn’t fit me in in the timescale I needed before starting my new job as we were going away on holiday. I wouldn’t normally go to Halfords.

It was the first time I’d used it for a significant drive since the service/mot.

Glad I’m not the only one who didn’t know about the intricacies of the water pump!!

Water pumps aren't checked on either mot or service. You're lucky it they change the air filter in a service from the garages I've seen. Refuse to pay for services now. Too expensive, can do it ourselves cheaper.

You sure it was just the water pump that went? Usually the timing belt goes too. That ruins an engine unless it's designed not to at first.

If* not it.

Water pump and timing belt are on their own maintenance schedule separate to MOT or services, usually get them done around 90k miles. Up to you to be on top of it, sorry

Taking it to BMW (and paying theough the nose) or taking it to a local reputable service centre makes not a jot of difference.. BMW mechanics are no more fortune tellers than a local service provider.. what I don’t understand is how you think anyone could of predicted your water pump would go? A service schedule could state that my water pump ‘may’ be due to replacement at 100k.. I could choose not to replace it and never need to replace it for 200k... or it may suddenly go at 50k.. who’s to blame? It’s just one of those wear and tear items that no one can predict when it will need replacing which is why it’s often not even included in a service. The ‘service schedule’ provided by the manufacturer is just simply a guideline to best performance in their opinion of the car.. you are not bound to following this advice.

I succeeded. In my case it was the fuel pump which was blocked (no idea if that's something they should have checked) but they took the car in and fixed in free of charge. I didn't ask for the recovery fee back though, it was my fault that I'd only paid for a crappy breakdown service that charged extra to get me home.

The other key difference is mine was a family-run garage, not a Big Name.