What you can do about shoddy vehicle repairs. By Leigh Robshaw
Ever put your car in to get repaired only to get it back with more clunks and clanks than you had to begin with? According to the Motor Vehicle Repair Industry Authority (MVRIA), about 14 million vehicle repairs are carried out in more than 11,000 workshops across NSW each year. Chances are, you’ve been the victim of at least one shoddy repair job or know of someone who has. And there’s nothing more annoying — and potentially dangerous — than having your car off the road, paying to have it fixed and then finding the same old problem still there once you get it home.
Sometimes repairers do dodgy jobs to save time and cut costs, but faulty repairs are usually unintentional. Either way, it costs you time and money as well as potentially increasing your risk of a crash. So, how can you be sure your vehicle is repaired properly? What can you do if you get done over? And how do you know if you’re paying a fair price for a repair?
If you have a new vehicle, your best bet is to deal with the original vehicle manufacturer’s service centre. Even if your car’s warranty has recently expired, they may still rectify any warranty items for you out of goodwill.
In the case of older cars, NRMA Community Relations Manager, Don Bollard, says when it comes to repairing your car it’s not worth trying to cut costs by dealing with backyard mechanics.
“If you want to cut costs you’re probably going to get a shoddy repair. Say the quote to replace a head gasket is $1200 but the bloke down the road quotes $600, maybe he won’t fully overhaul the cylinder head, he’ll just replace the gasket,” says Don.
NRMA Manager of Motoring Information Services, Brad O’Hara, recommends using an NRMA Approved Repairer to ensure a quality job in the first instance.
“The NRMA Approved Repairer scheme requires repairers to abide by a code of practice that will ensure a quality job is done right the first time,” says Brad.
“In the event of a dispute, NRMA can act as an arbitrator on behalf of both parties to help resolve any dispute. If a satisfactory resolution isn’t reached, we would refer the case to the NSW Office of Fair Trading.”
Another recourse is to contact the MVRIA, a NSW Government organisation that provides a free service to resolve disputes between vehicle repairers and customers, mediating over 1700 disputes each year.
In NSW, repairers must be licensed by the MVRIA to work on your car, and they can have their licence suspended or revoked for carrying out substandard repairs or lying about the work they’ve done. According to MVRIA Director, Tony Tarplee, routine servicing and minor repairs are the most common areas of dispute.
So, what can you do if you feel your repairs aren’t up to scratch? The first course of action is to discuss it with the repairer. If they’re an NRMA Approved Repairer and you can’t reach an agreement, NRMA will step in for you. If they’re not an NRMA Approved Repairer, you can call a Technical Enquiry Officer at the MVRIA, who can appoint an inspector to negotiate a solution.
If you find that it’s impossible to reach a settlement, you can apply to the Motor Vehicles Division of the Fair Trading Tribunal to hear the matter. The Tribunal can make orders, which are binding on the parties and may include rectification, refund or consequential damage to the value of $25,000.
You can also claim up to $3000 from the MVRIA’s Contingency Fund to cover losses from incompetent repair work done by a licensed repairer if you fail to recover the losses through normal legal channels.
If you’re baffled by car-speak and want some independent advice before you agree to a repair, you can call NRMA Technical Advice and run the problem by someone who knows what’s what in the world of car repairs. They can tell you if a repairer is quoting a ridiculous price, explain the problem in plain English and give you advice in the case of a dispute.
Jim Morris of NRMA Technical Advice estimates that about 10 per cent of the calls they receive are about shoddy repairs and many callers are women complaining of repairers talking down to them. Complaints about feeling “ripped off” with the repair costs are the most common.
For this reason, it’s important to get a second quote and agree on a cost estimate for parts and labour with the repairer up front, as well as discussing potential extra costs that may crop up.
As there is no price control on vehicle repair costs, repairers can charge what they like depending on the level of skills and service they provide and their operating costs, so do your research because once you and the repairer agree on the cost, you’re both legally bound by it.
“The other big problem in the repair industry is that because the repairer knows what he’s talking about, he thinks the person he’s talking to knows what he’s talking about,” says Jim. “A lot of the time we have to explain to people in layman’s terms what the repairer has just brushed over. We tell them what is going wrong with the car and why, and we also try to get people to be more precise when
they take their car in for a repair and explain what’s wrong.”
Getting your car fixed properly and for a reasonable price is a two-way street. If both you and your repairer obey the rules, everyone’s happy. If not, there’s no need to suffer in silence — just pick up the phone and you’ll find all the help you need to get a fair deal.
To get advice on a repair or to locate your nearest NRMA Approved Repairer, call NRMA Technical Advice on 1300 655 443. Find your nearest NRMA Approved Repairer. To check a repairer’s licence or for assistance resolving a repair dispute, call the
MVRIA on (02) 9712 2200 or visit
www.mvria.nsw.gov.au
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