SA Car Engine Damaged by Mechanic

[Revin]

Hi there.
About 3 weeks ago I dropped my car in with the mechanic for a service and to have a new computer installed in my car. (Something they said they have done many times before.) Car has never had any problems, no leaks, no smoke and started overtime.

Later that day i got a phone call saying they had blown the engine. I've been enquiring to see how my car is going over the past few weeks but they have kept saying they haven't started any work on the car and are waiting for their car insurance to get back to them. I called them the other day and said I need my car back soon for work and they said they can rebuild it now but i would have to pay for it.

Now I'm getting the vibe that they are trying to push the repair bill onto me, they are even using my warranty towards it.

Is this right? Do I have to pay anything for an engine they destroyed?

 

[Sophea]

Hi Revin,

Its not straightforward. What the mechanic is liable to fix and pay for out of their own pocket is any damage that they negligently caused. Without knowing exactly why the car blew up, whether it was a fault with a part or a pre-existing issue with the car or their negligence it is difficult to point the finger squarely at anyone.

Assuming the car did blow up as a result of their negligence then yes you have a right to demand that they fix any collateral damage for free.

If you are in doubt about your rights, contact Consumer and Business Services - (I believe thats who administer the Australian Consumer Law in SA). There is lots of information on the net about Consumer Rights and mechanics. Here is a link to a useful document: http://www.consumerlaw.gov.au/conte...loads/industry_guides/motor_vehicle_sales.pdf

 

[Revin]

I do have dash cam footage of what happened. As far as i can tell, they installed the new computer but did not tune it. When they took it for a test drive, the engine leaned out and it caused detonation.

 

[Saurabh166]

Hey Revin - How did you go with reolsving your issues? I have similiar case.

Thanks

 

[Revin]

Hi there.

Ended up talking to a friend of the family who used to work in insurance and he went with me to the workshop. Had a talk with them and turns out the workshop could claim it on their liability insurance.
So they went with that and ended up replacing the engine and covered all the costs with it.

Hope that helps 😁

 

[Saurabh166]

Yeap it does. Thanks Revin!!