Another horror story

[t-tony]

First test on Monday morning was a 08 reg. Fiat Grande Punto, now I quite like the Punto in general, good little car, but this one ..........................
Having got under the car on the ramp it looked very "rusty" which is unusual these days. The bottom of the front subframe just didn't look "right" and after a couple of taps with the plastic hammer chunks of it started to fall off, leaving gaping holes right next to the lower arm mounting points. Next I started on the lower suspension arms and this happened,

Notice how close that is to the rivets which hold the bottom ball joint to the arm itself in the 2nd. picture.
On the O/S one it gets better,

When I had finished I told my manager to stress to the owner that this car was VERY dangerous to drive on the road, he said he would inform the customer and that is the total of my involvement in the job. The car was left in our yard overnight into Tuesday, I noticed I had gone midway through the afternoon and I asked what had transpired today. Manager said he told the man it was unfit and very dangerous to use and that the bill would around £600 to repair it. I'll scrap it then said the owner, only to come back yesterday stating he had contacted the man he bought the car from who said he didn't realise the condition of the car and would take it back against another car. The owner then left, in the Punto, heading back to seller's pitch to get another car,......................... in LEEDS FFS!!!!!!

Tony.

 

[Faheem]

So that car may well get sold on to someone else?

 

[Redline]

He's probably buried in a hedge bottom somewhere Tony.
Would be lucky to make the edge of town

 

[Antm72]

I wouldn't want to be driving that lincoln to Leeds

 

[Low Rider]

I can understand that guy wanted to get the car back to the seller to get the payment price back but sure not at the risk of his own life or that of others on the road.

 

[t-tony]

So that car may well get sold on to someone else?

I doubt it Faheem now it has no M.O.T. cert. The seller probably traded it p/x against another car with some test left on it and just sold it on.

Tony.

 

[mwpe]

A throwback to Fiat's bad old days. I haven't seen anything like that since the 80's.

 

[t-tony]

A throwback to Fiat's bad old days. I haven't seen anything like that since the 80's.

I've seen the same issue on MGF's and even some Vauxhalls Mike. I personally think it's down to the quality of the steel each individual arm is made from, unless it was parked in a river at some point or the Somerset Levels a few years ago.

Tony.

 

[mwpe]

The Italians used to be well known for their very poor quality steel but I thought they had improved. I think we are spoilt with the BMW quality. My ex wife had a Lancia Delta Turbo in the 80' and I had to replace the rear subframe at 4 years old. It was replaced with the E30 325i which i sold last year.

 

[t-tony]

Very true mate, Ford had a similar issue back in the days of the Cortina. The Mk.4 was a good car very little rot but usual surface rust, however the Mk 5 was made from salvaged recycled steel and was a complete rot box. I replaced full chassis legs, front to rear, on more than a few of those. Don't get me started on Metros, made me a lot of money back in the day but horrible work.

Tony.

 

[Stevo7682]

Ford transit in general or mazda 6 and jaguar x type outer sill

 

[hard top]

Always drive German boys & girls, never had any problems with my Mercs & BMS.....

 

[Grumps]

Jesus Christ! That's bad is that! 08 plate? I think as a manager I'd have stressed the vehicle to remain on site and removed by transporter or repaired before leaving. Your gaffer has allowed a very dangerous car back out into the public domain. Wonder where it would have stood if something had of happened and it was traced back to Tanvics mate?
You ever done your job and deemed it unsafe but your gaffer didn't do enough IMHO.

 

[t-tony]

Sad as it is Dave, all we can do is advise them.

Tony.

 

[jamie_z4]

wow thats horrendous!

 

[Redline]

There surely has to come a point where the organisations civic duty has to become more important than the business itself. I would have thought the manager would have been well within his rights to tell the owner when a car is simply too dangerous to be allowed to be driven off.

You can't impound the car or tell the driver he can't drive it but you can say that in his professional opinion it is way too dangerous to be on the road and that if the owner does drive off that the car has to be and will be reported. I'm sure the citizens of Lincoln would thank him not be negative about the company. It might just save someone's life.

 

[Nodzed]

@t-tony Had the MOT expired? If it had I thought it was legal to drive a car without an MOT to a test center for a pre-booked MOT but if it failed and the previous MOT had expired it was illegal to drive it from the testing station? Or is that urban myth?

EDIT
Answered my own question, urban myth

https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q600.htm

 

[oldcarman]

Here in Manitoba the test centre can refuse to let the car leave the lot under its own steam. Fix it or transport it are your only choices. They've had people come back and take the car with extra keys and they get arrested and taken to court by our provincial insurance co. Some people are just plain stupid though!! My friend would lock them in his compound with two German Shepard and would show up in the morning to find some idiot on top of their car scared sh*****ss! Then they get charged with break and enter!! JIM

 

[t-tony]

There surely has to come a point where the organisations civic duty has to become more important than the business itself. I would have thought the manager would have been well within his rights to tell the owner when a car is simply too dangerous to be allowed to be driven off.

You can't impound the car or tell the driver he can't drive it but you can say that in his professional opinion it is way too dangerous to be on the road and that if the owner does drive off that the car has to be and will be reported. I'm sure the citizens of Lincoln would thank him not be negative about the company. It might just save someone's life.

In principle you are absolutely right Ian, but in the real world word would soon spread about that b*****d at T***c's who reported me to the Police and trade would be affected without doubt and in this money driven world we live in no one would ever dare to do that.
I have told the manager that in my opinion it is dangerous to drive on the road, but I never get to tell this to the customer, how f***ed up is that. Maybe I should start taking pictures of the faults (Oh, I have) and send them to the local rag.

Tony.

 

[Redline]

In principle you are absolutely right Ian, but in the real world word would soon spread about that b*****d at T***c's who reported me to the Police and trade would be affected without doubt and in this money driven world we live in no one would ever dare to do that.
I have told the manager that in my opinion it is dangerous to drive on the road, but I never get to tell this to the customer, how f***ed up is that. Maybe I should start taking pictures of the faults (Oh, I have) and send them to the local rag.

Tony.

That may be so Tony. I don't think a headline like "Child dies after garage lets dangerous car on to the road" will do them any good either. The police could act discretely stopping the car on reasonable suspicion - it wouldn't even be traced back to the place reporting them.
The DVLA could add a record to the cars data just to say that the driver has been told not to drive the car even if it has a valid mot. If all centres had access and a requirement to do that then it would stop it and generate more business. But then, you would get unscrupulous garages exploiting car owners by holding them to ransome so may be evidence is also required.