Consumer rights and garage repairs

I know garages are a consumer rights minefield, but can a basic principle be established about labour and diagnosis? Lately I've had a garage charge me hundreds of pounds for basically failing to correctly diagnose a fault and thus wasting many hours chasing a red herring. Periodically they ask "Shall we do this work?" as if I am thereby sanctioning it. Eventually they give up but still want paying for their time - and they've got my car keys

If you took a car to a garage and asked for a problem to be solved then you are liable for the time spent by the garage in trying to trace the fault and trying to repair it whether the garage is successful or not. They have a right of lien over your vehicle until they are paid. Having paid them you could then attempt to sue them for "unsatisfactory workmanship" in the Small Claims track of the County Court.

Answered by Honest John on 6 July 2012

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