Seat dealer runined my car !!!

[Yaboy]

My Leon K1 was due a cambelt change being 4 years old with only 36k on the clock I had it booked at my local SEAT dealer which SEAT UK advise using for all repair work, servicing etc.
The experience I had with this dealer may be disturbing to read about and may as well make you think twice about using a dealership you have never used so please only read on if you are willing to think twice about taking your car to a dealership.

Right, so i had my car booked for a cambelt change which is usually 2 -3 hour job so I dropped the car off around 12pm and was given a car to use while mine was being worked on and was told it will be ready by the end of the day. I was quite satisfied and left with a smile.
Later that day I got a call from a fella who told me they could not remove the engine mount and that they would have to remove the aircon pipes and gas so it would take more time.
I then instantly thought hold on should you not have called me earlier as its now past 17:00 hrs so they must have only started on the car or they were just making up stuff to buy more time either way I thought ok fair enough at least I have a car so I can continue with my plans for the weekend. Now it was time to collect my car 3 days later I did say to them why did it take longer than I was told and they did usual "sorry sir" routine, so im now in my car and got ready to move off I then got ready to drive off but remembered about the aircon as they said it would be removed so gave it a try to see if it worked and guess what no cold air at all so I went back inside and told them there is no cold air and I really hope you have not messed up my aircon as I was told it will be removed now this chap i spoke to on the phone comes out and says we didn't have to remove it in the end and we had get a guide on the forum to see how the cambelt was done. I thought OHHHH NOOOO I gave my car to a bunch of trainees this guy then tells me to leave the car and come back in an hour so me and my pal went over to subway.
I got a call about 40 mins later to say he had to show me there was a leak a leak !!!!! When my aircon worked fine before it had come to the dealer so he shows me the radiator and says this is where its leaking from and it could be caused by a stone hitting it he basically denied any responsibility I was just really upset at the time but took his work for it. On way home now I start to feel my car is not driving the same it was very shaky and low on power again I didnt want to doubt the dealership thinking they would know there stuff and wouldnt have messed up the work carried out I then began to realise my car was running like crap it would shake when idle exhaust would pop and it had no power I thought it may be something else and not related to the work they did my mind didnt want to believe the dealer could do anything wrong to my car.
I then took the car to a school friend who is a very good mechanic and has an employee who worked at Porsche for many years he instantly told me the timing was out and that whoever did the work must not know a thing about these cars. So know I am very certain this dealership I went to are a dodgy bunch so I decided to check my car thoroughly upon inspecting my car I found a scuff to my front bumper which was never there , damage to my cambelt cover (cracked), scratches to were the engine mount bolts on and around the cambelt area white paint missing due to scraping, my car timing was out and it could have bent valves, my car had been driven for 10 miles prior to collection and I can only imagine how they would have driven it also my car had 70-80 miles fuel but when picked up it had less than half that. I was at first being very understanding with this dealer but now I see all they have done wrong and how they have tried to cover it up.

I have since then spoken to the dealer who was being very sarcastic saying they would not mess up timing and they have done nothing wrong to my car and they are wiling to inspect it upon inspection they tell me "sorry sir the timing was out" my reply was "I know thats what I said and you said it wasn't" they still refuse to sort my bumper and aircon and the manager is away till Monday ,, guys I could do with some advice please I don't really feel happy at all with this dealership and the way they have dealt with my car and me.​

 

[Smee]

complain to seat UK.

and never use a dealer again.

 

[Yaboy]

complain to seat UK.

and never use a dealer again.

thanks I would not have used them but wanted to keep my history with the dealer ,I was so wrong cars better off without dealer history I think they owe me some compo for all they trouble and stress caused, would my engine be ok or could there be serios internal damage ?

 

[Redemption]

complain to seat uk.

And never use a dealer again.

+1!

 

[Smee]

if you speak to Seat UK explain what has happened and that you dont feel safe driving the car etc they will more than likely come Toe it to another garage and look at the issue. might even get it FOC or mega discount.

until you speak to them you wont know.

personally i wouldnt drive it as i dont want damage done to my car. and the fact a a better mechanic has looked at it and told you say volumns. did you mate reset the timing?

the only dealer i would use is Castlegate Seat here in Norwich only because my mate is the head mechanic but even now i dont use them. Jabbamotorsport for Remaps and re have a local garage call Autology which is basically the ex BMW and Audi Masters of the area when they took a chop. very happy with there service and pricing and also 20% due to the company i work for so win win win

 

[Yaboy]

I have left the car there until there manager comes back from holiday and have a car which they will be paying for I want my car repaired properly and back to the way it was before they messed it up.
I might even get an independent mechanic at there cost to check its fine I think a compression test should be done.

 

[Smee]

do they work on modern day cars???

still ring seat uk trust me

 

[Yaboy]

sorry smee forgot to mention I spoke to SEAT UK the woman was very unhelpful and said they couldnt do much as the dealers are a franchise lol , so I said I want to speak to someone higher than yourself and am expecting a call in the next few hours , Im just so pissed off I haven t even driven the car much and look what they have done to it

 

[Smee]

she is kinda correct but they are trading in the name of Seat so they can do something.

i would ask them to come collect the car and take it to another garage.

 

[Yaboy]

do they work on modern day cars???

still ring seat uk trust me

I dont think they can work on modern cars there was even an elderly woman there who said they scratched her car while it was being serviced I mean imagine the amount of people the fob off with lies If I didnt know cars well enough I would have been mugged by them and been a silent victim

 

[Smee]

no does a compression test work on modern cars not the dealer. lol

 

[Yaboy]

she is kinda correct but they are trading in the name of Seat so they can do something.

i would ask them to come collect the car and take it to another garage.

yes that seems like the right option but I would rather give the car to someone I can trust and have them pay for the work im at a point where I will not tolerate there crap any longer I have been very understanding and taken there word for things but am so certain now that they are just trying to get away with there mistakes ,,, terrible aint it..

 

[Yaboy]

no does a compression test work on modern cars not the dealer. lol

lol , seriously though these stealers are getting worse I might just name the dealer and ruin there whole rep I might just post on a few forums so people are aware of them.

 

[Yaboy]

+1!

+2!

 

[Marshall]

sorry smee forgot to mention I spoke to SEAT UK the woman was very unhelpful and said they couldnt do much as the dealers are a franchise lol , so I said I want to speak to someone higher than yourself and am expecting a call in the next few hours , Im just so pissed off I haven t even driven the car much and look what they have done to it

Seat UK are an absolute waste of time I complained about my **** dealer not willing to carry out a repair under warranty on my car and they were as unhelpful as the dealer never got the car repaired by them had to stand the cost of the part and repair it myself.
Seat seem to back the dealer up so I think you won't get anywhere with them.

If your not happy with the outcome seek advice you maybe able to get it repaired by people that know what they're doing and they have to foot the bill.


Don't name the dealer yet see what the outcome is first.
If you name them beforehand you'll lose all chance of getting everything repaired.

Sent from my iPhone

 

[mk4 cupra]

Main dealer service history is aload of rubbish In my opinion they cut corners badge where possible and rush due to the fact there all on bonus pay the quicker they get it done.

If the timing was only out one tooth which is what it sounds like to me damage to the engine is most Likly not going to of happen on an average case but it possibly could of done damage.

As for the timing case cover they are defo responcable for that do they should replace it the scratches and air con will be hard to prove but keep on at them.

They should have noticed the timing was out on the road test unless they gave it to the car cleaner to drive. They sound like they should be given a wide birth. But then agian I would never take my car to a main dealer
I hve worked in one and seen the antics they do and get up too that's why I wouldn't ever work in one again.

 

[Deleted member 74601]

I never understood the main dealer service stuff.

Once the car is out of warranty, I do my own servicing, and use independents for any other work I can't do. As long as you file the receipts, anyone coming to look at the car should have enough common sense to realise that there is a full service history, even if there aren't stamps in the books (although it's pretty easy as long as you have a mate at a garage).

It wouldn't bother me if i turned up to a car and they said "I don't have the stamps, but I have a receipt for every service and every other bit of work carried out"

 

[Yaboy]

Seat UK are an absolute waste of time I complained about my **** dealer not willing to carry out a repair under warranty on my car and they were as unhelpful as the dealer never got the car repaired by them had to stand the cost of the part and repair it myself.
Seat seem to back the dealer up so I think you won't get anywhere with them.

If your not happy with the outcome seek advice you maybe able to get it repaired by people that know what they're doing and they have to foot the bill.


Don't name the dealer yet see what the outcome is first.
If you name them beforehand you'll lose all chance of getting everything repaired.

Sent from my iPhone

your spot on Kev the lady I spoke to at SEAT UK was as unhelpful as it gets she said all she can do is get the dealer to ring me , I mean if your gonna do something do it right or dont do it at all, seems these dealers just want loads of work booked in and dont have a concern for customer service or the quality of work Im not going to take this lightly at all and may even make a trip down to my local trading standards and have a chat as I did that before when I had an issue with dominos pizza .

 

[mk4 cupra]

I never understood the main dealer service stuff.

Once the car is out of warranty, I do my own servicing, and use independents for any other work I can't do. As long as you file the receipts, anyone coming to look at the car should have enough common sense to realise that there is a full service history, even if there aren't stamps in the books (although it's pretty easy as long as you have a mate at a garage).

It wouldn't bother me if i turned up to a car and they said "I don't have the stamps, but I have a receipt for every service and every other bit of work carried out"

1+ that mate I do all the work on my car then I know it's all done propley.
To behonest I think I'd rather have some body else's stamp in my service books any way than a main dealer because there standerd of service is half what most back street garages do taking from working in one they cut to Meny corners for my likein and doing half the work they should be.

A perfect example when I used to work in a main dealer they where changing front springs told the custermer it would take 3 hours so I started the job got them done in an hour and a half throught well that's a job well done ready for a road test
So told the service desk and they said make sure u pull it back into the work shop if everything is ok. I said why he said due to she has paid for 3 hours labor so she will have to wait 3 hours because we don't want her thinking she has paid too much..........
This is the type of thing they do always And worse some things I sore made me sick

 

[Yaboy]

Main dealer service history is aload of rubbish In my opinion they cut corners badge where possible and rush due to the fact there all on bonus pay the quicker they get it done.

If the timing was only out one tooth which is what it sounds like to me damage to the engine is most Likly not going to of happen on an average case but it possibly could of done damage.

As for the timing case cover they are defo responcable for that do they should replace it the scratches and air con will be hard to prove but keep on at them.

They should have noticed the timing was out on the road test unless they gave it to the car cleaner to drive. They sound like they should be given a wide birth. But then agian I would never take my car to a main dealer
I hve worked in one and seen the antics they do and get up too that's why I wouldn't ever work in one again.

Im sure thats what they did let the cleaner drive it and see if it drove fine when I picked it up the cleaner came back with the car, if they think im gonna back off just because my timing is right now then they better think again as Im not having to fork out my hard earnt cash for damage not casused by myself they have messed up my whole car and I dont even want it anymore now makes me feel like its a banger