Well it's my turn for that moan. This isn't vengeance, it's a short factual story about a Bristol-based used car dealership called Automotive Solutions, and their 'sister' company, Edwards Car Care, that were dishonest to me.
I bought a used car off these guys. When I bought it, I asked specifically about a known problem to do with water ingress with this type of car, and whether it had had the fix done to it. I was told it had. Within a couple of weeks it became obvious it hadn't - it rained hard and the footwells were full of water, which just so happens to be the place where the computer that controls pretty much everything sits.
So, I took it back and within a day or two they had done 'the fix' and dried out the carpets. Now 'the fix' I refer to is a well documented directive from VW - it involves buying a new gasket strip for £10, and fitting it beneath a pollen filter inlet. The labour is probably about an hour.
When I picked up the car I inspected the work and noticed what looked like silicone sealant around the area in question. I was told they used this as a 'belt and braces' approach and had installed the correct gasket. I left satisfied.
Roll on two years...and things start going wrong with the car. I suspect water ingress, and sure enough after lifting the carpets I find the loom and the CCU (the computer for lots of stuff) is wet. This time I tackle the problem myself. I buy the correct £10 from VW, and start work. This is what I found:
So, what do we see here? This is a cowboy job. They didn't buy a new gasket at all. They couldn't be bothered to spend £10 on the proper part. Instead, they rammed the whole thing with silicone sealant - a hope-and-pray approach that was destined to be a short-term fix. In the first photo you can see the inner sponge gasket completely covered in silicone, and the outer gasket with a complete section missing along the bottom edge. The lower photo shows the gasket removed.
And the funny thing is they didn't save any time doing this - in fact it probably took them longer - you still have to remove the wipers, scuttle and pollen filter, and then refit. So the only reason for doing this is to avoid spending a tenner. And all this risked very expensive damage to my car.
Edwards Car Care website says:
"Edwards Car Care is a well respected garage, with many satisfied customers in the Clifton area of Bristol. Our professional, reliable mechanics and technicians and state-of-the-art equipment allow us to undertake any sort of work on all makes and models of cars."
Perhaps I was given the trainee? Perhaps they were having a bad day? Perhaps they think silicone was an appropriate fix, and lying was acceptable? Either way, from now on, if you Google 'Automotive Solutions Bristol', or 'Edwards Car Care' you may just see this story, and wonder if this is a business you can really trust.
I don't trust them at all. My car allegedly came with a new cambelt courtesy of Edwards Car Care. After this experience should I believe it?
