To drive a dangerous car to the garage?

[UncompromisingCat]

Because they won't answer the phone or email? Two weeks ago I took my car to the dealer to get a repair under warranty - they replaced the steering column, which was a known issue. A couple of days ago, I found a bolt in my driver's footwell - internet research says it's a vital bolt from the steering column and NOT to drive the car until it's fixed.

So I have tried and tried and damn well tried, by email, by phone - they simply never answer. (To get the initial repair, I had to physically drive there to get the appointment). I tried their central customer service line - they know that this dealership never answer and said they'd try themselves and get back to me - that was the last I heard from them.

The garage is five miles away. My only recourse seems to be to drive there very slowly and carefully and get to them in person. Their repair has left my car potentially dangerous, and I have no way of even asking them to deal with it... I am really at a loss here...

How the hell do I expedite this?!😭

There is no way I would drive a car that I considered dangerous, no.

Can you not get a lift to the garage to speak to someone and then they can collect the car . Alternatively get the AA/RAC/ a tow company to collect the car and drop it off at the garage .

Is it at all possible that the bolt on the floor was a spare, and the new thing they installed came with a new bolt which is happily in place? Are you able to lift away the decorative cover around the steeting column and actually see a hole where the bolt is supposed to be?

And I wouldn't use this garage either! Cheap means nothing if you're dead, or kill someone else.

Is the car driving ok? You mention finding a bolt but not how car is. The bolt could be one they dropped and correct bolt fitted.
If car isn’t driving ok then I would get it towed to garage by AA or similar.
Taxi to the garage to book it in?

You could but it would possibly risk your safety and others as well as likely voiding your insurance.

Can you get something like Kwik Fit to do a home visit? Or just suck it up and pay for a pick up.

Yeah I wouldn’t be driving this car. As PP has suggested, can’t you get someone to drive you to the garage to speak to them in person? Personally though I wouldn’t be using a different garage and getting them to make notes if the bolt is indeed as vital as you think so that you can use this against the previous garage so they foot the bill.

edited to add if you do drive it and god forbid cause an accident or harm someone - you will be entirely liable for this for driving a dangerous car that you fully knew could be dangerous.

Could you call out the AA (or equivalent) and ask them to look at it if you have home start (or equivalent)? I guess they might ask what the issue is and say you are not covered but they might do it for a reasonable fee and then you take the garage to the small claims court to recover the fee if they won't reimburse you.

I suspect the garage will tell you to call your recovery company rather than them coming out.
Unless you've called them a lot and are on max numbers it's a better option anyway.

if you know your car is not roadworthy you must not drive it.

The AA will attend even if you're not a member, you can join on the spot. They may attend even if you don't join, but I'm not sure on that.
Please don't drive the car if there's any doubt, you'll be putting yourself and others in danger.

Could you not phone another branch of the dealership to deal with the issue? They may be far more helpful than the branch that HQ knows doesn’t answer their phones

You can't know that the car is dangerous. Even if AI has identified it correctly, there's a 50/50 chance that it's the old bolt left behind after they replaced it rather than the new one. Which in itself is far more likely than that they've forgotten to include a vital part! If it's that important, the whole replacement probably wouldn't be installable without it.

i agree it is probably a random bolt left behind. i wouldnt trust AI

Just get a taxi or a lift.

I reckon it’s an old bolt left behind. Can you see a hole?

Obviously you don’t drive the car if you think it’s dangerous. But it may not even be what you think, AI makes a lot of mistake. Go to the garage without the car and speak to them

or find a mobile mechanic

If the garage is only 5 minutes away, surely you can walk there to make an appointment. Assuming you don't have mobility issues. Or take a bus? Taxi?

By all means get the garage to have a look but Google can not tell you what bolt that is.

Thank you all so much - you're right, there's no way I could drive it if it's dangerous - doesn't matter if I'm prepared to take the risk myself, not fair to other road users, I'd never forgive myself.

It could be just a dropped bolt - I've had that suggested by a few folk - but still, I can't be sure... There's a garage down the road, I think I'll get them to check it for me - happy to pay for peace of mind, even if the original garage should rightly sort their mistake...

It's not the money - my DH is in hospital this week and I've already spunked £60 on taxis rather than drive to visit him. And I bought the car new after I had cancer treatment, thinking it would be worth chucking money at it for 'less trouble'. That didn't work. 🙄 Maybe this is why my mind has been a bit scrambled about this...

But I may cancel my extended warranty - I have no way of using it with that dealership. I wouldn't be surprised if it closes down soon, it had that 'sniff' to it, you know the way...

Okay, thanks again everyone! Night's sleep and sort it tomorrow...

🤗

To answer a few questions:

I think it was driving okay, but am psyching myself that it wasn't, of course... I won't be pulling the cover off to look as I'm certain I would bust it... 😁 Someone suggested that the blue paint on it means it's probably a dropped bolt rather than a new one, so 🤞... It's actually over 5 miles away - I like a walk, but that's beyond 'dropping in' distance... as the Abbe Fausse-Maigre said: 'Never confront an enemy at the end of a journey, unless it happens to be his journey.'

And you are right, AI has been known to be wrong... 🤔 which is why I'm asking imaginary friends on the interwebs! But I wouldn't be happy taking the chance. Will get it checked.

👍

Take it for a drive round the block, see if it drives OK, if yes take it to garage.