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I have a situation where I took my car to an ase certified mechanic. I had the alternator replaced and four days later I am out of town and the power steering goes out for a couple seconds. I pull over check under the hood and notice the alternator is skewed and the belt does not look good. I call the shop that did the alternator and let em know I was having a problem relating to the repair and that I was not sure the car or alternator belt would get me home. The shop told me to bring it back and asked when I could have it there. I asked if a mobile mechanic could be sent out or towing, they told me if I needed I could take to a napa auto center and would be compensated for the parts. I thought this was odd and what good would having parts with no mechanic do. On the way to the mechanics shop about 30 miles from where I called them from I noticed the temp gauge was in the red and immediately exited the free way. Mechanics shop was where I exited, car never died or threw any check engine or over temp lites, or showed any signs of overheating.
The shop told me my engine was bad and the alternator had a bad king bolt when I 1st brought it in. The tech pointed the bad bolt out to the shop owner but they still used it and just put a different nut on it. This bolt was what failed causing the alternator belt to come off after the alternator moved.
I would think that when I called the shop prior to the alternator belt failure they should have told me not to drive the car and asked for an address to send the tow truck. Now they say it is my fault for driving the car with a known problem and would like to split the cost of engine replacement with me or buy the car off me for real cheap.
Does this sound like the shop should be liable for installing a known bad part that led to failure and then not properly advising the customer over the phone when I called in? Or is this a fair offer that I should except?
Thanks for any and all opinions on this matter, God bless!!
I have a situation where I took my car to an ase certified mechanic. I had the alternator replaced and four days later I am out of town and the power steering goes out for a couple seconds. I pull over check under the hood and notice the alternator is skewed and the belt does not look good. I call the shop that did the alternator and let em know I was having a problem relating to the repair and that I was not sure the car or alternator belt would get me home. The shop told me to bring it back and asked when I could have it there. I asked if a mobile mechanic could be sent out or towing, they told me if I needed I could take to a napa auto center and would be compensated for the parts. I thought this was odd and what good would having parts with no mechanic do. On the way to the mechanics shop about 30 miles from where I called them from I noticed the temp gauge was in the red and immediately exited the free way. Mechanics shop was where I exited, car never died or threw any check engine or over temp lites, or showed any signs of overheating.
The shop told me my engine was bad and the alternator had a bad king bolt when I 1st brought it in. The tech pointed the bad bolt out to the shop owner but they still used it and just put a different nut on it. This bolt was what failed causing the alternator belt to come off after the alternator moved.
I would think that when I called the shop prior to the alternator belt failure they should have told me not to drive the car and asked for an address to send the tow truck. Now they say it is my fault for driving the car with a known problem and would like to split the cost of engine replacement with me or buy the car off me for real cheap.
Does this sound like the shop should be liable for installing a known bad part that led to failure and then not properly advising the customer over the phone when I called in? Or is this a fair offer that I should except?
Thanks for any and all opinions on this matter, God bless!!
Ask the shop for the name of their garageman's liability insurance adjuster and don't negotiate further with the shop. I have owned my own automotive repair shop for 34+ years. From all that I understand, their defense that you should have known better than to drive it after they messed it up won't fly. You are not supposed to be the automotive expert. I certainly hope you used the kind of reputable shop that has liability insurance for "consequence of defect of workmanship." With any luck, the insurance company will not find it cost effective to dispute the claim. Pix would not hurt, nor the invoice from the other shop that saw the damage. You should ask for a rental vehicle while repairs are being made unless they total the vehicle.
The deductible on the shop's coverage may be so high that they end up agreeing to pay everything and avoid a black mark on their insurance. I think mine is $5 or $10k. (Happy so say its been 15+ years since anything was submitted to our insurance.) That would be OK.
I'm not seeing how you actually ruined the engine. You overheated it, that *might* mean head gaskets or even head replacement, but it usually does not go further than that.
What are make, model, and year of the car? How many miles on it?
I am not at all sure I would want a shop that screwed up an alternator replacement changing out an engine.
I'm not seeing how you actually ruined the engine. You overheated it, that *might* mean head gaskets or even head replacement, but it usually does not go further than that.
What are make, model, and year of the car? How many miles on it?
I am not at all sure I would want a shop that screwed up an alternator replacement changing out an engine.
If an engine is badly enough overheated there can be issues with piston scuffing, rings, etc.
On some overheated 4 cyl Toyota engines the head bolts pull the threads out of the block and repair is possible but quite a sophisticated process.
Yes, it would be good to know if this is a classic Ferrari or a PT Loser and what age and miles!
if the at-fault shop's insurance handles it the owner can then use the shop of his choice. But, then again, even the best shop can make a mistake.
OK, further clarification on insurance parameters. Insurance adjusters have a phrase they love to use: "Like kind and quality." Unless this car is almost showroom new, this phrase may well be invoked. What it means: "Your engine wasn't new but was used so we offer to replace it with 'like kind and quality,' that is to say another engine that is used, unless you want to pay the difference to upgrade to new." Their argument is not entirely without merit. Depending on the make year and mileage of this mystery vehicle, a solid used engine could have a much better expectation of trouble free long term service than a cheap "remanufactured." It might be wise to offer to pay for replacement of dubious hoses, water pump, timing belt, clutch (if the last two are applicable) etc. which should get a free or nearly free labor ride.
If the car is not worth that much then holding out for it being totalled at fair market value when it was in sound condition could be the safest way to go.
What happened to the bolt? I have never seen a bolt go bad on an alternator. Were the threads stripped on installation? Wonder why it was okay for 4 days and then went bad? Were you driving it without power steering and without the belt when it overheated?
Ok further info and thanks for all the replies, I am really stressed out over this whole matter. I have been driving my wife to work and having to leave my work a half hour early each day.
To clarify the car is a 2010 kia 4cyl. with 156k miles, never in the shop except regular maint. until the alternator. 100k tune up and timing etc were performed at the same shop as the alternator, the car was never been to another shop. The faulty bolt was found at alternator replacement the 1st time, the shop never mentioned this bolt until round two. Told me the bolt was the reason the alternator came loose and angled and said bolt was gone when I brought the car back. They claimed it's a proprietary bolt and would have taken a week to get, I think it would have been worth the wait!! They told me the belt did not break but came off. The mechanic argued with me when I returned for round two and told me the water pump was on a different belt and my weep hole was to blame...lol Maybe this is why they did not tell me to not drive the car like they should have when I called them and told them it did not look like the belt would make it home. I did not know at that time the water pump was on the belt either, but I am not a mechanic.
He also offered to buy the car off me, leeding me to think he said the car still starts and drives, is he trying to get a screaming deal on my car or trying to rip me off further for a whole engine when it may be a head gasket or other smaller issue?
The orig shop told me the bolt threads were damaged. The shop owner said, he saw the bolt and damage was minor, so they put a new nut on and did not tell me until after it had failed and caused engine damage. I imagine the primary holding/positioning bolt came out because the nut did not thread right and then the alternator shifted allowing the belt to come loose?
Also power steering was sporadic it cut out a little and would then come right back. After I called the shop about the problem and they told me to drive it back I got on the freeway and steering was ok but then again it was not requiring much steering input.
Even if the alternator was GONE completely it's not going to damage the engine, all the alternator does is charge the battery much like the air conditioner only cools the air, you don't ruin the engine not having the air conditioner compressor in place.
You might only be able to drive a half hour with no alternator before the battery dies since everything will be running off the battery only.
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