Dealer breaks window, your thoughts please

Gogsy · May 27, 2015

Recently my Freelander 1 rear window stopped working and my mechanic recommended it should go to a Land Rover dealer to be fixed, which it did.

The problem was the regulator and they undertook to replace it at great cost to which I agreed.

After replacing the regulator and refitting the glass they tested it and the glass shattered!!! The cause was found to be that the rear tyre had been shunted and pushed in the tail gate jamming the glass.

Now I accept the damage to the rear tail gate was not there responsibility, and I have paid to get it pushed out so to speak, however, should there mechanic picked up on the fact that the glass was impeded and should they pick up the bill for the new glass?

Your thoughts welcome.

Thanks.

goonarmy · May 27, 2015

They break it they fix it. If you tested it and it broke then your problem but that didn't happen. That said this isn't consumer advice just me opinion

Gogsy · May 27, 2015

goonarmy said:
They break it they fix it. If you tested it and it broke then your problem but that didn't happen. That said this isn't consumer advice just me opinion

Thanks for quick reply, that is my thought, just wished to sound it out as it is not their thoughts.

GrumpyGel · May 27, 2015

Definitely their responsibility I'd say.

freelance · May 27, 2015

But the shunt was the start of all your problems, so whoever repaired that damage didn't do their job properly

teddywood1 · May 27, 2015

I have phoned my friend who is a barrister and he says but please do not quote me it is their fault ,the mechanic should have looked more at the problem and should have noticed that the window was not capable of moving and therefor should not have attempted to do anything about it.

htr · May 28, 2015

teddywood1 said:
I have phoned my friend who is a barrister and he says but please do not quote me it is their fault ,the mechanic should have looked more at the problem and should have noticed that the window was not capable of moving and therefor should not have attempted to do anything about it.

Hmm, tricky one that, What about splitting the cost of a replacement glass with free fitting by them?

teddywood1 · May 28, 2015

I think you need to get the door repaired first as it is only going to happen again

clarkkent · May 28, 2015

htr said:
Hmm, tricky one that, What about splitting the cost of a replacement glass with free fitting by them?

+1
As said, whoever pushed the door out is equally to blame for bad workmanship.

td4van · May 28, 2015

How could they know the glass would be impeded if it came in to them in a non working state??

Also there's a level of responsibility with the original mechanic who "diagnosed" the fault.

Additionally if you knew the door was pushed in then you're also liable.

I would get a 2nd hand glass (on eBay for around £30) and get the tailgate repaired and ask garage to fit the glass for free whilst setting up the new regulator.

Alibro · May 28, 2015

You handed him the keys of your car with a faulty rear window regulator but a good window. During the attempt at repairing the regulator he broke it the window. He is responsible full stop. The mechanic should have spotted the issue and either sorted it or stopped working on the regulator until it was sorted.

td4van said:
How could they know the glass would be impeded if it came in to them in a non working state??

He's a mechanic, that's his job. That's why the OP gave it to a dealer as they are supposed to have trained mechanics.

td4van said:
Also there's a level of responsibility with the original mechanic who "diagnosed" the fault.

The car was brought to them with a faulty window. Whatever anyone else did is irrelevant, they are trained mechanics and should never assume anything but diagnose the fault for themselves.

td4van said:
Additionally if you knew the door was pushed in then you're also liable.

The OP is a lay person, it is not his responsibility to be an expert in windows and what will break them. That is the job of the mechanic.

td4van said:
I would get a 2nd hand glass (on eBay for around £30) and get the tailgate repaired and ask garage to fit the glass for free whilst setting up the new regulator.

It might come to that but really the dealer broke it by the incompetence of their mechanic. They should pay for it.

Gogsy · May 28, 2015

freelance said:
But the shunt was the start of all your problems, so whoever repaired that damage didn't do their job properly

I agree the shunt was the start of the problem, however the shunt was never repaired and looked OK from the outside as the spare wheel camouflaged it. It was only after they shattered the window they looked and saw that the tailgate behind the spare wheel holder was pushed in and jamming the window.

Gogsy · May 28, 2015

teddywood1 said:
I think you need to get the door repaired first as it is only going to happen again

The door is going to my local body shop on Monday to get "pushed out" then it's back to my local Land Rover dealer to sort out who is paying for the window they smashed to get replaced.

Gogsy · May 28, 2015

td4van said:
How could they know the glass would be impeded if it came in to them in a non working state??

Also there's a level of responsibility with the original mechanic who "diagnosed" the fault.

Additionally if you knew the door was pushed in then you're also liable.

I would get a 2nd hand glass (on eBay for around £30) and get the tailgate repaired and ask garage to fit the glass for free whilst setting up the new regulator.

It came to them in a semi working state, it just would not go fully down or stay up. I did not know the door was pushed in, not noticeable from the outside, they, the Land Rover Dealer, are the first ones to address the problem with the tail gate window.

Alibro · May 28, 2015

Gogsy said:
The door is going to my local body shop on Monday to get "pushed out" then it's back to my local Land Rover dealer to sort out who is paying for the window they smashed to get replaced.

Nice one. At least they are taking responsibility.

Gogsy said:
It came to them in a semi working state, it just would not go fully down or stay up. I did not know the door was pushed in, not noticeable from the outside, they, the Land Rover Dealer, are the first ones to address the problem with the tail gate window.

Exactly as I said. The mechanic is the one trained to spot things like that and as a lay person you could never have known or been responsible for this.

Gogsy · May 28, 2015

Alibro said:
Nice one. At least they are taking responsibility.

Exactly as I said. The mechanic is the one trained to spot things like that and as a lay person you could never have known or been responsible for this.

Sorry misled you slightly, I am paying for the door to be sorted as they did not cause the dent, good price I think, £55 including re-spray should paintwork get damaged. Great little body shop I found close to me run by Pols and they do great work.

After the door is sorted I expect the dealership to replace the glass they broke.

I agree with you completely, the mechanic should have spotted the problem and stopped the job till the door was fixed.

deangermouse · May 28, 2015

If you need a rear window, I am in macmerry on monday, I think I have 1 from my scrapper fl1, let me know if you want to collect it from me. Dean

Gogsy · May 28, 2015

deangermouse said:
If you need a rear window, I am in macmerry on monday, I think I have 1 from my scrapper fl1, let me know if you want to collect it from me. Dean

Thank you Sir. I am going to phone the local land Rover dealer tomorrow, Friday, to establish their intentions once the door bodywork is repaired. I will get back to you tomorrow.

Thanks again.

Gogsy · May 29, 2015

deangermouse said:
If you need a rear window, I am in macmerry on monday, I think I have 1 from my scrapper fl1, let me know if you want to collect it from me. Dean

Dean I would love to collect it from you, problem is Monday is when it's going into local body shop to have door pushed out so I have no transport.

I believe you are only about a 2 and a half to 3 hour drive form me, perhaps I could pick it up?

deangermouse · May 30, 2015

I will be working at Chrystal petroleum, Macmerry on monday, I can leave it in their workshop for you to collect during the week if you want, it would save you a lot of driving.

Dealer breaks window, your thoughts please

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