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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Government, citizens and rights
    3. Consumer advice
    4. Common consumer problems

    Car repairs

    Car maintenance and servicing keep your car roadworthy. You’ll need a qualified mechanic to repair or service your car. When you collect your car from a garage after servicing, make sure you only pay for work that has been done.

    What the law says

    When a garage services or repairs you car, your consumer rights as a buyer are protected in law. This means that your garage must:

    • fit replacement parts that are in good condition, that are able to do the job and that will last a reasonable length of time
    • use reasonable skill and care
    • do the work in a reasonable time
    • charge a reasonable amount, if no price is agreed beforehand

    You can ask Consumerline for advice about your rights when you need car repairs.

    Tips before car servicing begins

    If the garage fits a part which is soon found to be faulty, do not pay for a replacement to be fitted. The garage should have fitted a good part the first time.

    Tell the garage exactly what you want repaired. They should tell you roughly how much the work will cost and when your car is likely to be ready. If you tell them to check your car and 'fix everything', you might have to wait longer than expected or pay more than you expected.

    Ask for a written quotation. The garage may say it can only give an estimate because, until it starts the work, it will not know what needs to be done. If this happens, make sure the garage gets your permission to continue working if it becomes clear that you are going to have to pay a lot more than was first estimated.

    If you disagree with the garage bill

    If you feel the garage is overcharging, you will need to get another garage to examine the work done. Until you pay the bill, you won’t get your car back. If this happens, ask for help from any trade association which the garage might belong to. If that doesn't work, you will probably have to pay. When you pay a disputed bill,  write 'under protest' on the garage's copy of the bill or on the back of your cheque. This allows you to continue your challenge once you get your car back.

    Make sure you tell the garage if you have to hire a car while your own is being repaired. If the garage takes longer than an agreed time to repair your car, you may be able to claim from them for the cost of the extra car hire.

    If you have a complaint about car repairs

    If you need advice on your rights contact Consumerline before trying to resolve it with the garage. Be polite  but firm with the garage. If that doesn't work and the garage is a member of a trade association, ask for their help.

    Most trade associations have a code of practice which offers a low-cost arbitration service. In arbitration an outsider investigates a dispute to decide who is right.

    If you want to use arbitration, your garage or trader has to also agree. You will not get your fee back if you lose.

    The arbitrator's decision will be binding on both of you. This means that you cannot go to court later about the same dispute if you don't agree with the arbitrator's decision.

    For more information, contact the Retail Motor Industry Federation.

    • How to complain to a business or trader

    Court action

    If you haven't been able to resolve your complaint and haven't used arbitration, you may need to take legal action. If the amount involved is less than £3,000, you can take your case to the Small Claims Court. You don’t need a solicitor in the Small Claims Court.

    Contact Consumerline who can advise you how to apply. For amounts over £3,000, you should ask a solicitor for advice.

    • Small claims process

    If a garage makes a false statement about its work

    It is a criminal offence to make false statements about a service. If you think a garage made false statements about work it has done, for example a used part is charged as a new fitting on an invoice, contact Consumerline. They will tell Trading Standards Service.

    • Sample complaint letters for goods and services
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    Common consumer problems

    • Auctions
    • Buying a new or used car
    • Car repairs
    • Doorstep selling
    • Estate agents
    • Guarantees and warranties
    • Home maintenance and repairs
    • Junk mail, spam and unwanted phone calls
    • Paying a deposit
    • Shopping
    • Tooth whitening

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    What to do next

    Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

    If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

    Carer's Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912
    Email 
    dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

    Call 0800 587 2750 
    Email 
    customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

    Disability Living Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912 
    Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Employment and Support Allowance

    Call 0800 587 1377

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

    Personal Independence Payment

    Call 0800 587 0932

    If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

    For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

    For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

    For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

    If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

    • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
    • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

    For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

    Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

    For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

    For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

    For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about:

    • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
      contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
       
    • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
      contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

     

    For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

    For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

    If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

    If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

    For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

    For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

    If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

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