hah, does that make any difference?! A couple years back I left the ZS into an ex-MGR dealer down the south of France for the annual service. They called me later in the evening with some "bad news". Thought maybe they'd discovered some serious mechanical issue during a checkup, but no, went back to the garage to find that they had destroyed two alloys + the tyres during the "test-drive". Steering was out by about 15º aswell. Test driving customers' cars around Magny-Cours perhaps? I could understand a mechanic getting excited over a V6, but this was a 1.4 ffs! hehe. At least in this case, they did the right thing afterwards and without any hassle.

I go to a local garage who I trust and know would never rag my car. I'm very very particular where my cars go to. I once used a local MG dealership on my old ZR and could here it being ragged by one of the younger mechanics, I promptly went into the garage area and had a word with the mechanic and is boss, it went well for me but not for him.

I've had bad experiences with a Vauxhall main dealer when I ran my Omega V6 Tourer. They tried to stitch me up with a load of BS after I drove it home after a service and found the rear brakes had gone. Being a qualified engineer was useful, I allowed their service manager to keep digging that hole and then chipped in with the facts. He didn't know what to say when I ran the facts past him, they couldn't do enough for me.

System is a huge let down when it comes to civil matters like this.
Unfortunatly cars do get damaged in garages at times, but personally at mine we always will repair F.O.C. thats what the insurance is there for, shocking bullying tactics from the owner really

man - that would indeed suck well and truely - it is the one reason i am very concerned about garages and who i trust with my car.

a prang like that would leave me fuming esp as what i have been through with it!

I picked up a hitch hiker a few weeks ago. Turned out he worked in the garage I used for my MOT. In chatting, he told me he had driven my track car.... I have never taken it to the garage other that to get bolts swapped on the calipers.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but this doesn't require driving my car, so unless he meant he drove it from the forecourt to inside the garage, he was either talking sh1t (quite possible) or they were driving my car without my permission!

He also said he'd driven my black one which did go in for its MOT there and had to be driven to another garage but I'm still not convinced anyone would let him behind the wheel!

Either way, the conversation made me think more closely about where my car is during work.

Surprised no one advised the OP to take someone with him, if or when, he goes back to the garage to act as a witness.

What a horror story, sounds like the garage guy knows how the system works and is prepared to use it for his advantage.

Hope the Nova owner gets a good outcome.

i dont do MOTs but after any job the car gets a roadtest unless it was just something daft like interior trim/wipers ect, if the car hasnt been in for over a month the car gets a vehicle health check as well which tbh is quite a thorough check, dont rag cars just to make sure they are driving true, no funny noises, vibrations, pulls, gear changes are okay, brake noises, as i said things do happen to cars time to time, luckily touch wood nothing to me on road although i did crash a h/drive van into a skip when i was an aprentice and when it was snow ice i couldnt see out the back of a zafira and knocked into a mondeo(both sales cars) and dented a customers door when the door swung open due to the check strap being broken and it hit off the ramp, but we even repaired that f.o.c.
i just cnt believe the balls of the owner of the garage, i think perhaps he may not have the insurance and is hopng he will just go away and leave it

Its amazing how may fire risks there are in a garage! :whistle:

In fairness accidents happen, if I dropped my car off and it was taken for a road test around the block I wouldnt have a problem with it (assuming it was driven sensibly). These things happen. Its the guys attitude that would have caused me to flip and let the rage out!

Theres a lot to be said for having a mechanic that you trust. Thats way I give my car to Dave when its MOT time, know its in safe hands. :thumbsup:

I used to give my car to my brother-in-law to take into work and MOT it, he's a service dept manager for a VW franchise and has done for many years. However one evening he was off up the road taking it home to take into work the next day, I heard him wheelspin out of our road and floor it up the main road, not an easy car to drive quietly fast! Needless to say he doesn't do any of them now!

I do not trust that many garages, never have and those I do are watched carefully. Finding a good one and ensuring it stays that way is one thing but the smart ones know it only takes one bad job to bring them down. Rebuilding damaged reputation can take a long time, assuming they can repair it.