EXPERT checks on cars recently serviced by Warwickshire garages revealed only one had been carried out to a satisfactory standard.
Warwickshire Trading Standards offered drivers the opportunity to have their car’s service quality checked for free by an expert vehicle examiner. Five took up the offer, each of who had paid a garage an average of just over £300 for their service.
But trading standards officers were disappointed to find only one had been serviced correctly.
The expert carried out lengthy and thorough checks on all the vehicles. What he found was that some work had been carried out incorrectly, while other issues that should have been reported to the owner had not.
Problems included failing to notice faults with the steering; two cases where engine oil had been over-filled – which can cause engine damage; and failing to top up the coolant – which can lead to overheating.
All owners received written information on their car’s condition and some immediately returned to the garages where their vehicles had been serviced to have the problems fixed.
Trading standards is warning garages that persistently fail to carry out adequate car services could face court action and be named and shamed.
County council safety spokesman John Horner said: “Most consumers are not car experts; they rely on their garage to carry a proper service so their vehicle remains both safe and roadworthy.
“Warwickshire Trading Standards will continue to work with garages across Warwickshire to help ensure that service standards are maintained and take action when they are not.”
