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Original poster

RAC complaint

18 replies

popcornfrenzy · 08/09/2022 10:52

I have a thread in legal too but am popping this here for traffic...

My car was making an awful rattle noise when I was driving and as I'm a qualified mechanic I knew that the timing chain had either stretched or had jumped a tooth and was causing my car to run rough.

So I'm a member of the RAC and called them. I'd already contacted the garage that I use and told them the timing chain needed to be looked at. All fine, the RAC patrol man rocked up after nearly 4 hours (!) and checked my engine oil - great! It's one of the first things you do however my car was parked on an incline which gave the wrong oil reading, he has misdiagnosed my car and said it was low oil. He started my car and has catastrophically damaged the engine, anyone who is a qualified mechanic knows you do not start a car that has a timing chain issue!

So now the RAC are absolutely refusing to take responsibility for trashing my engine, the RAC man has lied on his report. I've been left with no car and a quote of nearly £1.5k for his fuck up. I need my car for work and as a single parent am absolutely fucked with no car. I've had to cancel a trip to Lapland (luckily kids had no idea we were going) to pay for my bloody car. I've been paying monthly for this holiday for 18 months. I've lost £450 deposit but getting the rest refunded.

I have a report from the garage that it was not an issue with low oil but the timing chain had indeed slipped and him starting the car caused the damage.

Where do I stand with taking this further legally?

Thank you in advance for anyone that reads this through as I'm at the end of my tether.

OP posts:
newtb · 08/09/2022 11:05

Could you write to honest John that has the motoring problem page in the Telegraph? He usually gives pretty good advice.

FarFromHome2 · 08/09/2022 11:11

If you had been driving it for any distance at all (which is going to be the case, as if not you would not have been able to hear the rattle) then that would have caused the damage. Claiming that it was the RAC guy who did it seems unlikely.

justagirlstandinginfrontofcake · 08/09/2022 11:15

You were obviously there. Why did you let the RAC man start the car? Why didn't you tell him you were a mechanic and you just needed car taken to a garage?

Original poster
popcornfrenzy · 08/09/2022 11:16

FarFromHome2 · 08/09/2022 11:11

If you had been driving it for any distance at all (which is going to be the case, as if not you would not have been able to hear the rattle) then that would have caused the damage. Claiming that it was the RAC guy who did it seems unlikely.

I drove my car to the shop and when I pulled away at a junction when I heard the rattle and the car started to run roughly. It hadn't done that previously - I know when a car isn't running correctly. I parked my car up and didn't try to start it again. Having explained the symptoms to the garage they agreed with me. The RAC man took no notice of this and started the car anyway. It started then wouldn't start again - it was this action that caused the damage. I told him not to start the car but tow it to the garage for further diagnostics and repair (timing chain change)

OP posts:
Original poster
popcornfrenzy · 08/09/2022 11:17

justagirlstandinginfrontofcake · 08/09/2022 11:15

You were obviously there. Why did you let the RAC man start the car? Why didn't you tell him you were a mechanic and you just needed car taken to a garage?

I told him I'm a level 3 qualified mechanic and been in the trade for nearly 25 years - he totally dismissed this.

OP posts:
FarFromHome2 · 08/09/2022 11:19

popcornfrenzy · 08/09/2022 11:16

I drove my car to the shop and when I pulled away at a junction when I heard the rattle and the car started to run roughly. It hadn't done that previously - I know when a car isn't running correctly. I parked my car up and didn't try to start it again. Having explained the symptoms to the garage they agreed with me. The RAC man took no notice of this and started the car anyway. It started then wouldn't start again - it was this action that caused the damage. I told him not to start the car but tow it to the garage for further diagnostics and repair (timing chain change)

Show quote history

So when you started it after the chain had jumped, and drove it under load it caused no damage at all, but when he started it it destroyed the engine?

Well, if that’s your story you’re going to have a real up-hill struggle getting anyone to believe you, as it seems pretty unlikely.

womaninatightspot · 08/09/2022 11:19

Nightmare. Once had a flat changed by rac. Wheel came off next night. They refused to admit liability car was written off by insurance.

Original poster
popcornfrenzy · 08/09/2022 11:24

@FarFromHome2 the chain must have jumped on my journey home from the shop. It started fine then at a junction I pulled away and that's when I heard the noise and the car was running rough, misfiring and the like. I was 100m from home, I parked it up and called the RAC - he started it again when I told him not too? I know I'm in for a fight but he should have listened to me and just towed the car to the garage. He didn't, he started it and caused the damage.

OP posts:
Original poster
popcornfrenzy · 08/09/2022 11:24

womaninatightspot · 08/09/2022 11:19

Nightmare. Once had a flat changed by rac. Wheel came off next night. They refused to admit liability car was written off by insurance.

They refused liability?? Did you take it further?

OP posts:
FarFromHome2 · 08/09/2022 11:26

popcornfrenzy · 08/09/2022 11:24

@FarFromHome2 the chain must have jumped on my journey home from the shop. It started fine then at a junction I pulled away and that's when I heard the noise and the car was running rough, misfiring and the like. I was 100m from home, I parked it up and called the RAC - he started it again when I told him not too? I know I'm in for a fight but he should have listened to me and just towed the car to the garage. He didn't, he started it and caused the damage.

How do you know that the damage wasn’t occurring as you were stopping?

Original poster
popcornfrenzy · 08/09/2022 11:29

@FarFromHome2 my point is he diagnosed it as oil starvation having checked the oil on a hill. I now have the report from the garage saying there's no sign of oil starvation and the timing chain has indeed stretched and the starting of the car has caused the valves to bend. Had this guy just listened to me and towed it to a garage then I wouldn't be paying for a new engine in my car. Even RAC have admitted that the protocol for potential timing chain issues is to tow to a garage for further diagnostics.

OP posts:
HairyMcLarie · 08/09/2022 11:41

The RAC are a breakdown organisation. Not a 'my car is running, can get me the 100m home and needs fixing' service.

Original poster
popcornfrenzy · 08/09/2022 11:44

HairyMcLarie · 08/09/2022 11:41

The RAC are a breakdown organisation. Not a 'my car is running, can get me the 100m home and needs fixing' service.

I'm sorry what? My car had broken down - I got home myself then called them for a tow to a garage? Is that not what they're for? I have home cover and I told them exactly what was wrong.

OP posts:
womaninatightspot · 08/09/2022 12:20

Insurance paid and I didn't have legal insurance on my motor policy. Essentially I'd be wrangling with them for the excess £250 so I let it go. They subcontracted it out to someone else to change the wheel, wet and dark night. I think they just did a bad job.

PeekabooAtTheZoo · 08/09/2022 12:32

HairyMcLarie · 08/09/2022 11:41

The RAC are a breakdown organisation. Not a 'my car is running, can get me the 100m home and needs fixing' service.

Good luck with that if your timing chain ever goes. There’s loads of reasons why a car would still technically start even if it’s classed as broken down, and it’s literally in the cover that they can tow you. How do you think people are supposed to get a non-roadworthy vehicle home? Its the RAC not a car ambulance!

OP you might get better advice somewhere like pistonheads or MSE they have some good advice threads about car repair places etc.

I had a similar issue with a different breakdown service where I literally told them what the problem was (serious transmission issue) and that I needed a tow truck and they ignored me, sent a van, guy didn’t listen and made it all worse, I had to wait another two hours for the tow truck while puking my guts up at the side of the road and by the end my car was only fit for scrap. I had hyperemesis gravidarum at the time and was back in hospital the next day so never followed up, so I really hope you get somewhere with this.

maddening · 08/09/2022 12:35

HairyMcLarie · 08/09/2022 11:41

The RAC are a breakdown organisation. Not a 'my car is running, can get me the 100m home and needs fixing' service.

If your cover includes recovery it definitely does include "get me home/to garage " as that is recovery. Some even include onward travel to your destination.

maddening · 08/09/2022 12:37

Eg from the RAC page

RAC complaint
Original poster
popcornfrenzy · 08/09/2022 12:42

@maddening that's the cover I have well had as I've cancelled it - the cheeky buggers asked if I wanted to renew. The first time I have to call them out and they trash my car? No thank you - have now gone with the AA but if my car ever needs to be worked on again, I will video the person doing the job. Never again will I trust the RAC. I'd hate to think he dismissed me because I was a woman.

OP posts:
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