Where do i stand on this???

Last year i had my car MOT`d. Of the problems i had was the balljoint in the
left front needed replacing as the steering had gone a bit naff. This year
the steering problem had returned and on the MOT (done last week) it came up
as the wishbone bushes had worn to excess (the garage said this was what was
causing the problems). amongst other minor problems (front pads, back brake
light out, 2 front tyres which were because of the steering problem) this
was the main cause of the steering again. I have had the car back for a week
and the car has developed the problem again. Today i took the car back
explaining that the problem had arisen again after only a week. The mechanic
had a look at the wheel in question and said "thats yer problem there, youre
hubs gone!". Not only did i think this should have been picked up if he was
fixing it and should have noticed this. Not content with that i asked my
friend who is a mechanic what he thought. After we jacked the car up he said
that without a shadow of a doubt that it was the balljoint. So we took the
car across the road from where he works as there is a garage and asked them
to look at it to confirm what the problem was (whether it was th hub or the
balljoint). After about an hour or so the mechanic from the garage came into
my friends place of work to find me. He asked me who had put the balljoint
that was on the car on it. I told him the garage that did the MOT repairs
that had done it and he replied "well its the wrong size, whoevers has done
it has put the wrong one on! and not only is it causing youre problem it is
also very unsafe!!".

My question now is where do i stand on this as im letting the garage who
have now found the accurate problem fix it tomorrow. Can i go into the other
garage and give him the bill for work that i have had to have had done to
rectify his incorrect work. If so could i claim anything for the wishbones
as it seems that these wore out because of the original problem.

I would like to hear any thoughts on this and where i stand legally because
not only has this cost me a great deal of money £330 quid to get the
wishbones done. £80 for the alleged balljoint repair last year (which was
the incorrect one fitted) and tomorrow it is going to cost more, but the
gargae has said that i was endangering my health and others by driving with
this incorrect ball joint as it could have broke and god knows what would
have happened there.

Many thanks

Damo

 

Try talking to your local Trading Standards office.