Mechanics blunders cost £300m to fix

By DAVID WILLIAMS
Updated:

 

SHODDY repairs by cowboy mechanics are estimated to cost drivers £300m a year. If figures from a sample of 1,300 were applied to all of Britain's motorists, it is estimated more than 665,000 had to employ a second garage to 're-repair' their cars with an average bill of £471.

mechanic

Six in 10 London motorists say they have been ripped off by a car repairer. Nationally, more than one in 10 customers who complained to Direct Line in its survey said their cars were returned with serious faults. They included items such as defective brakes and damaged tyres.

Sixteen per cent said the standard of work was so appalling that their car broke down on their way from the garage. One in five said they were overcharged. A further 6% said they had been charged for work that had not been done.

'In the past year alone almost six in 10 motorists said they felt as though a mechanic had fleeced them,' said Emma Holyer of Direct Line, which commissioned the poll from YouGov.

'Most women drivers believe they have been ripped off because of their gender, while more than a third of young drivers believe they were swindled because of their age.'

She said mechanics were doing themselves out of business as victims were unlikely to use the same garage again.

Today, the Retail Motor Industry Federation said: 'It is vital for the motorist to use a reputable garage, preferably one of our members that operate a code of practice and where the customer has redress.

'When a customer books a car in they should be clear about their requirements and authorisation procedure for work completion and parts.'

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