Clio tracking out after work at garage, should I pay?

[sjparker]

Not sure if this is the right section or should be under general chat.

OK so had my car in for some work on Thursday(off the top of my head it was a ball joint or something) and when I went to collect the car I noticed straight away that the steering now sat to the left and the tracking was out.

The garage was now shut so I phoned up on the Friday morning and explained the problem. They said I could bring it in on Monday morning and they would sort it out but right at the end of the phone call they quoted the price for the tracking. It was only when I actually came off the phone that it sunk in that they expect me to pay for this?

The car went into the garage with no tracking issues whatsoever, I get it back and the steering is out of line? Is it my responsibillity to be paying to get that corrected? I wouldn't of minded if this was quoted as part of the work and even on the phone they said it usually doesn't put the tracking out.

I'm not going to name the garage, I'm going to speak to them in detail on Monday. They are very reputable and I've actually been a customer of their's for years. I've had previous Renaults and used them for all the work and they've always been nothing but A+. This is why I was slightly shocked by this and am just interested in what people think.

 

[Harpham]

Ill let the "non-mechanical retards" answer this properly, but iirc when you replace a ball joint, it does knock the tracking out so you'd have to pay out to have that done either way. Your responsibility to pay imo.

 

[Adamm.]

I had a ball joint changed and had to pay separate to get the alignment done.

 

[Fred@BTM]

yep you should pay, but they should've checked the geometry or advised you get it checked after replacing the ball joint

 

[Daniel]

You have to pay for it, simple.

You asked them to do a job, they did it.

However, they should have told you (or quoted in the price at least!) that the tracking would need doing.

 

[Tunst]

yep you should pay, but they should've checked the geometry or advised you get it checked after replacing the ball joint

This ^

 

[sjparker]

Thanks for the replies, looks like I can't have too much gripe in paying it if the ball joint replacement warrants it.

Cheers.

 

[Fred@BTM]

as long as they charge around £25-£35 then go for it, if its £50+ then tell them to piss off!

 

[mr.pink87]

Might have installed the wrong balljoints in non-sport fitment. Normally a new set of balljoints shouldn't knock the alignment out too much as the bolt holes are a tight fit.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Cant change a balljoint without needing the tracking doing, so they should have warned you that as they would have known it.

You should pay though, thats the bottom line.

 

[Tony Hunter]

I'd try and screw the garage for not finishing the job.

 

[glenn_adam_doble]

The tracking should of been done with the ball joint change, its like getting new tyres put on but getting no air in them, it should go without saying

 

[sjparker]

Thanks for all the input.

I didn't end up having it done today but will be tomorrow. Obviously I'm not mechanical and that's why it was confusing that I'd be paying for something that at the time, seemed unrelated to the work that had been advised by the garage and carried out.

Yeah the garage probably should have informed me the tracking would have needed doing after the ball joint replacement but as it's been pointed out, it should be required normally so it doesn't get too me that much now having to pay.

Cheers

 

[Martin_172]

the garage wont usually automatically include the tracking price as the chances are if your shopping about theres always a garage that wont bother doing it and undercut them, getting the business instead, however they should deffinately advised it