Quote: Originally posted by rhys172 on 08 February 2003
So, as well as selling me a car with a bodged back box, a completely broken cat and therefore a not entirely legitimate MOT ceftificate, Ive now found out that the locking wheel nut bolts have been screwed in too tight and the nuts damaged so I cannot get the fecking wheels off to change the fecking tyres. The garage I bought the car from say that it is not their problem (like any of the other stuff that was wrong when I bought the car) and that they reckon they can charge me for 6 hours labour and a new set of nuts to get them sorted.
Where can I go to get the nuts off? Oh yes, do you think it is worth a complaint to trading standards about all the problems that they totally refuse to fix? Bear in mind Ive only had the car for 15 days.....!
Rhys
Rhys, I have just spoken to our decent garage owning friend who is in our house at the moment, and he says that YOU MUST RETURN THE CAR TO THE GARAGE WHERE YOU BOUGHT IT, if they have jammed the nuts on.
In his case, prior to selling a car, he always does a brand new MOT on it and services it, and part of what he does in every service, which main dealers dont do, is to REMOVE ALL OF THE WHEELS TO CHECK THE CONDITION OF BRAKES ETC ETC and as he said, how can a garage sell you a car only 15 days ago, which the nuts wont undo. They should not be so tight as to not move, whether that garage tightened them like this or not. They should be able to be undone, so that you can change a wheel yourself if a puncture occurs whilst you are away from home.
He says that if you have had that car for only 15 days, and with several problems,YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY RETURN IT TO THEM WITH A LIST OF THINGS WHICH NEED TO BE PUT RIGHT, AND THAT INCLUDES THE WHEEL NUTS, AND TELL THEM THAT YOU WILL COLLECT IT WHEN IT HAS BEEN SORTED.
You should have a warranty for at least three months on a used car and if there are things wrong with it, which would cause it to fail an MOT, you should tell the garage that you will contact the Trading Standards and see what they have to say. An MOT should only be issued if it has passed a thorough test. A garage can lose its licence if it is passing unroadworthy cars.
He says that you could try a little bit of heat (not excessive) on each of the nuts, which might ease them, but if it is going to take six hours, it probably means that they are completely knackered and need the hubs etc sorting.
Just keep persevering and dont back down Rhys.
