Do Car Services have a guarantee?

Question

I had a full service on my car (Y reg Corsa) in December 2006 at a Vauxhall garage. One of the warning lights (the one to do with emissions) on my dashboard came on last night and I understnad that I need to take the car to a vauxhall garage ASAP. As I recently had a full service should the garage make any repairs for free? Do full services normally have a guarantee and if so for what length is it valid?

Answer 1

The only form of guarantee you have after having your car serviced is for any parts the garage may have used to replace worn ones and that guarantee is with the parts producer and not with the garage. IE if say for example the garage fitted a new oil filter and it failed within a couple of months then you would have to go to the maker of the oil filter to claim compensation and not the garage that serviced your car.
A service entails checking and changing things like oil filters, the amount of gas in your airconditioning unit, changing spark plugs ect. It is not a full inspection of every component of your car.
Anyway the problem you have reported may be related to work carried out at the service but then again it may not. The problem may be coincidentall.
Even if the problem was in some way connected to work carried out at your Vauxhall garage you will have trouble proving it.
The best thing to do is go along to your Vauxhall garage and find out what the problem is and why the light has come on after all there may be nothing wrong with your emissions and that there is a fault with the warning light system so don't jump to conclusions just now.
Only when you find out the problem and the cause of it will you be in a possition to make decissions but in reality you haven't got a leg to stand on.
All though the garage may guarentee the work carried out in December for either say three or six months the onouse is on you to prove that it was the work carried out by them that is at fault or at least directly related to the problem.
But don't be fobbed off, you still have rights and even if the garage claims to be inoccent of blame the parts used in the service must serve a purpose (ie do what there supposed to do and be up to the job) if not then even if the parts or work didn't come with a guarantee your stautory rights still apply for as long as the manufacturers say there parts should keep on working for. Be that one month, one year or two years.
All the best, Andrew D

Answer 2

I worked at vauxhall service dept. The parts replaced in the service have a guarentee, but most of the parts replaced on a y reg corsa if you didnt have any work would be the oil filter, air filter and spark plugs depending on what mileage you had done. If its low-ish, yo might not have even had spark plugs. They are the only things they replace. Unless you authorised more work., so i'd be suprised if it's related. A very common fault on that model corsa is EGR valve usually works out about £125. Beware though the vaux garrage i worked at charged 58.75 diagnostic and £117.50 an hour labour!!!

Answer 3

If the garage is a reputable place and values you as a future regular customer then yes they would warranty their work anywhere from 30 - 90 days BUT only if problem was what they fixed in the first place. That light on may have nothing to do with the work already performed, a full service doesn't mean everything on car was replaced. If you're concerned about warranty then have them put it down on your invoice exactly what they stand behind.

Answer 4

my husband is a mechanic (American) ; there is no 'standard' on service guarantee.
if the light came on within a day or 2 they (the garage) should (in good conscience) fix it, though.
almost 3 months later is on you.

Answer 5

i'm pretty sure services themselves don't come with a guarantee, the parts they fit at the time do but the service doesn't.

Answer 6

if it isn't on paper (good luck) even if it is on paper (good luck) mechanics rate right up there with mobsters.